The Lottery and Other Stories (FSG Classics)

by Shirley Jackson

for young girls always know far more than all others, and are both understanding of and perpetually disappointed at the behavior of their elders, male elders in particular

it pleased him to have only one key to his home, and that safely in his own pocket; it had a pleasant feeling to him, solid and small, the only way into his warm fine home.

the wading-through-molasses feeling of trying to hurry children.

“How was school today?” I asked, elaborately casual.

"Elaborately casual" is such a beautiful way to describe this succinctly.

Something bad has happened, somehow people think they know something about me that they won’t say, they all pretend it’s nothing, but this never happened to me before; I live with the Winnings, don’t I?

“Insanity is more complicated than you think,” the doctor said.

“Moving day,” she said expressively.

“You never know what’s going to happen to you,” Mrs. Anderson said. “When things look worst, you’ll either die or get better.

“I have a toothache.” The nurse half-smiled, as though she were still waiting for the day when someone would come in and say, “My feet hurt.”

I’ll murder him if he did, she thought, I’ll bury him in the cellar.