The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a classic, and highly recommended.
A short story from 1948, it was written and published in the first month of The New Yorker magazine to everything from applause of excellence to vile threats for the author. Readers cancelled subscriptions and sent hate mail for months. They demanded an explanation.
Despite the initial negative reaction, it has succeeded as a masterpiece and is part of regular school corriculums. I had heard it was one of the most chilling stories, and so, wanted to continue my last frightening story The Woman In Black with another. I was glad to read it cold - not knowing anything about the plot, just carried along until I arrived.
It is chilling, in a way that you won't forget.
It's a story of small town life, where the authority of those in charge - the mayor, the postman, the elders - are unquestioned, accepted, and followed. Children do as they are told, especially by the father (or designated Man of the house, whatever age), and encouraged to join the group. To belong to a community is to work together as a whole, and deviation from tradition or opting out of activities is not heard of.
It has been adapted for radio, TV and films but they don't come close to the impact of reading the original story. It's excellent, and introduced me to a talented new writer. I now want to read everything Shirley Jackson wrote, and followed this with the two novels I will review next.
There are many sites online to download and read this story for free.
1948 / Tradeback / 305 pages (part of a short story collection)
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