Shirley Jackson: Novels and Stories (Loa #204): The Lottery / The Haunting of Hill House / We Have Always Lived in the Castle / Other Stories and Sketches (Library of America)

This Library of America volume is more of a 'best of' collection than the comprehensive survey that the series often goes in for. It offers two novels plus an original breakthrough collection of short stories and a further section chosen from other short published and unpublished work. The common theme - whether in ghost stories or indeed in pieces about family life (the story about giving birth to her third child) is living in a hostile world. The short biographical notes tell us that this was Jackson's own experience. At one time she lived in a 20 bedroom house which was 'an intellectual salon, a poker den and the site of noisy, crowded, hard drinking weekend parties' this was not popular and it is not the only problem she has with her neighbours.I enjoyed most the piece about the reception of her story, The Lottery - lots of hostile correspondence and some humorous touches. The major works were not particularly to my taste but I am pleased to have sampled this very different rent take on the world.

The pages are tissue thin but that makes no difference it just means theres loads more to read in a fairly compact beautifully bound hardback.

Shirley Jackson is a wonderful author and I'm grateful that she's now being rediscovered, at least for a British audience. She is a real find for me. Every one of these stories is beautifully written, and many are deeply disturbing: many also have a wry humour. Ghosts, racism, 'outsiders', the savagery within children, hidden things lurking beneath the surface, things glimpsed out of the corner of one's eye. She's justly famous for The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House, but of this collection, my favourite is The Summer People - don't read this alone in a house in the country, as I did!