Shirley Jackson's husband, Stanley Hyman, claimed that his wife was "the only practicing witch among modern writers, albeit an amateur". Indeed, from the works of Jackson blows some kind of “damn”, they are not similar to anything. Absurdity, horror, mystery - all this is mixed together in the pages of her works, so that the reader is not able to distinguish reality from fiction. He can only rely on the author, surrender to his will - and obediently follow him through the bizarrely built labyrinths. The story "Lottery", which gave the title to the collection, is one of the most famous works of Jackson. It has become a classic of American literature and has been screened three times.