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Where to start reading Shirley Jackson

Where to start reading Shirley Jackson

by Lois Neville

22 September 2025

min read

Dismissed variously as a frumpy housewife, an oddball and a ‘genre writer’ by the male literary establishment, Shirley Jackson was overlooked for decades despite writing formidable, relevant gothic horror stories full of menace. Despite dying relatively young at 48, she wrote prolifically and penned what the New Yorker's editors said was “probably the most controversial story [the magazine] has ever published”.

For those looking to start reading Shirley Jackson’s work for the first time, it may be a little daunting knowing where to begin: novel or short stories? Most famous work or underrated gem? To help you decide, we’ve created the following guide on where to start with Shirley Jackson’s books. We believe this curated selection showcases the best of her work, with plenty of books to add to your reading pile in time for spooky season.

How many books did Shirley Jackson write?

In total, Shirley Jackson wrote six novels, two memoirs, and around 200 short stories. From these short stories, there are currently four collections, three of which were published after her death. She was pretty prolific, to say the least.

Recommended reading order for Shirley Jackson’s books

The Lottery and Other Stories (2009)

Shirley Jackson’s infamously chilling piece The Lottery is a great place to start when reading her work for the first time. A short read, this short story serves as a fantastic introduction to Jackson’s style and own brand of horror.

Jackson first wrote it for The New Yorker, which originally published it in 1948. It’s hard to explain the immense tension that builds throughout these few pages without giving away details but, suffice to say, the author received reactions ranging from “bewilderment” to "old-fashioned abuse" for months after its initial publication. Set in a small village with striking similarities to North Bennington, Vermont, where Jackson unhappily settled after her marriage, it tells of a horrifying ritual conducted quite casually by the locals.

At a glance: Still packing a terrifying punch 70 years later, The Lottery’s masterful execution of dread is best experienced knowing as little about the story as possible.

Dark Tales (2016)

If The Lottery has whetted your appetite for Jackson’s short writing, it’s time to move on to Dark Tales. This is a selection of 17 of Jackson’s short stories, released as an elegant Modern Classic, but don’t be fooled by its polished exterior: inside lurk some of the most chilling and disconcerting tales of domestic life gone wrong that’ll ever read. From the office to the kitchen sink, Jackson transforms the most innocuous everyday settings into places to be afraid of – and in. As with many of her stories, it’s hard not to draw parallels between her personal dissatisfaction with the housewife’s lot and these tales of horror hidden beneath a glossy suburban veneer.

At a glance: Dark Tales has readers trapped where the everyday and the uncanny meet. If you like your horror with a dose of chilling domesticity, this is the short story collection for you.

The Haunting of Hill House (1959)

You may already be familiar with the Netflix show or the two film adaptations, which is why The Haunting of Hill House is a great option to read next. But be warned: the original story is quite different to that on the big and small screen.

The Haunting of Hill House sees a group spend the summer in a grand house to determine whether it’s home to supernatural activity. From poltergeists to unreliable narrators, Jackson plays with the boundaries of reality, and we can’t help but feel that Eleanor, the young recluse of the party, is imagining many of the events. Claustrophobic and full of suspense, this novel delves into the darkest corners of Jackson’s imagination.

At a glance: Whether or not you believe in ghosts, The Haunting of Hill House will make even the most sceptical of readers uneasy in trying to untangle whether our protagonist is possessed or going mad.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962)

Long considered her finest work, reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle after familiarising yourself with some of Jackson’s other writings makes the reading experience all the more sweet – and terrifying.

A bit of background: Jackson suffered from crippling anxiety and panic attacks, as well as agoraphobia, and some have suggested that the dark and suffocating atmosphere in her fiction is a direct response to her reluctance to take part in the outside world. If that’s the case, she must have been at her most inward-looking when she wrote this book, set in a huge rural house outside a village in Vermont. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is something of a macabre locked-house mystery with a dash of magic and superstition, which follows an uncle and two nieces as they unwrap their family’s murky secrets.

At a glance: A modern Gothic masterpiece, We Have Always Lived in the Castle positions readers with this question: what really haunts that old spooky house?

The Bird's Nest (1954)

We believe reading Jackson’s novel The Bird’s Nest after her more famous work helps with appreciating this lesser-known story.

It’s been argued that one of the reasons Jackson was overlooked for so long is the number of female protagonists in her work. Here, again, we follow a young woman with a (potentially) unreliable view of the world around her. This time, it’s a multiple personality disorder that calls her perception into question. This is only Jackson’s third novel, but you can already see the themes of her later works emerging as it explores a sense of otherness, distorted reality, claustrophobia and domesticity.

At a glance: A satirical comment on the state of psychiatry in the ‘50s, The Bird’s Nest explores themes of identity, gender, and social pressure. It may be darkly comic, but make no mistake, this is classic Jackson psychological horror.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shirley Jackson’s most famous story?

Although a fair amount of Shirley Jackson’s work is critically acclaimed, The Lottery is considered her most famous. This is likely due to the intense public reaction it had when it was first published, as well as its enduring significance in the present day.

What is Shirley Jackson’s best book?

In terms of which of Shirley Jackson’s books is the best, there’s no simple answer. As with anything subjective, it all comes down to personal taste. However, in terms of popularity, it’s a tie between The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle; both have had a huge cultural impact and remain popular to this day.

What is Shirley Jackson’s scariest book?

Again, assessing which of Shirley Jackson’s books is the scariest is not straightforward: what is terrifying to one person might not be to another, and considering Jackson is known for her horror writing, it’s hard to narrow down which one is the absolute scariest. However, the general consensus is that The Haunting of Hill House is her most frightening due to its utterly dread-filled atmosphere.

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