The Daemon Lover and the Lottery
The Daemon Lover and the Lottery from Folkways Records
Product Features
- Year of Recording 1960.
- Record Label Folkways Records.
- Source Archive Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
- Credits Artist Shirley Jackson ; Authored by Shirley Jackson ; Design by Ronald Clyne.
- 101 The Lottery Shirley Jackson 23:24.
Shirley! This is a rare, hard-to-procure item read by the author herself–no other readings come anywhere close…especially the chillingly cavalier way in which she reads the last line!
You should have seen how far my jaw dropped when I listened to the samples of this audio reading. Shirley Jackson’s voice! Reading THE LOTTERY!! It was like hearing Shakespeare recite Hamlet. I had no idea this reading ever existed and was even more overjoyed that it was available so readily. I bought the CD, but the mp3 download would probably suffice. The audio quality on the CD is exceptional, no doubt thanks to the Smithsonian’s impressive lossless transfer, but, considering the source material, I doubt anyone but an extreme audiophile would notice a different between the .wav and the .mp3. If you’re a huge Shirley Jackson fan, however, I would recommend the CD.Aside from the mere fact that a literary genius is reading her masterpiece, this recording is notable simply because it’s by far the best reading of The Lottery (and Daemon Lover, another great story) you’ll ever find. Jackson’s pace is spot-on and appropriately haunting. The source material is slightly problematic in that there is a lot of “empty room” noise and a rare flicker in the recording, but still, I would say it’s shockingly clear and of high quality.Overall, amazing. You should be stunned that such a wonderful recording was even archived! I can’t go on enough about how amazing the experience was listening to Shirley Jackson read the story that has changed my life ever since reading it years ago. Also, gotta give some love to Daemon Lover which is certainly on my Top 10 list of classic Jackson stories. Whether you download the mp3 or grab the CD, every school teacher or longtime Shirley fan needs to experience this reading immediately!~Author of