Book Review: The Lottery and Other Stories, originally subtitled The Adventures of James Harris, was the only short story collection published during Jackson's lifetime. At least three unique collections have been published since. These stories are not much similar to her novels, they find the terror and horror in our everyday lives, in prejudice, mental illness, and the small cruelties people inflict on other people. The stories make clear that Jackson always felt like an outsider, despite her success. None of these stories is like "The Lottery," which stands out from the others on several levels. But all the stories in The Lottery and Other Stories are well-written, intriguing, and worth reading. Having read all Jackson's novels, I felt that she wrote them from her subconscious, from some brilliant instinct, wrote them almost automatically, just letting her emotions and fears flow onto the page. The novels often abandon strict structure and dig deep into elemental emotions. But these stories are carefully constructed, controlled examinations of everyday routine and human interaction, often ending unresolved, in mid-breath. The clear effort and precise attention to detail that went into these stories show a craftsman of the first order, and may make me re-think my views on the novels. James Harris (the Daemon Lover) is a mysterious man who shows up in a number of the stories, but is not a consistent thread or theme. The Lottery and Other Stories is an excellent collection by one of our best writers of the damaged psyche. [4★]
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