Winning the lottery is a dream that all of us share because it promises great wealth and endless happiness with it. As such, the motif of the lottery has been widely used in literature and cinematography precisely because it is one of the collective dreams of modern society. Here are five books about the lottery that you’re sure to enjoy. If you find yourself looking for a good read, any of these books would make a good choice.
And keep an eye out for future posts featuring books like this one on the topic of “5 Books about..” – I’m hoping to publish more!
1. “Lottery” – Patricia Wood
“Lottery” is no ordinary lottery winner story. The entire novel is told from the perspective of Perry L. Crandall, a man with an IQ of 76. At the verge of being clinically “slow”, Perry relies on the ground rules that his grandmother has taught him. After she dies, Perry is easily swindled out of the home she had left him by his ill-willing siblings and mother. But fortunately for Perry, he has some good friends to look out for him. They help him get a good job and find a place to live and get settled into a comfortable lifestyle. But one day, everything changes for Perry as he wins a staggering $12,000,000 in the lottery. He must then struggle through the parade of false friends and the inevitable attempts of his family to steal his newly-found fortune. With his friends by his side throughout the way, will Perry manage to adapt to the lottery winner lifestyle? Find out in Patricia Wood’s book.
2. “Lucky You” – Carl Hiaasen
“Lucky You” is a fast-paced action-filled book about the dangers that come with winning the lottery. The story begins with reporter Tom Krome who travels to Grange, a small town in Florida, to interview JoLayne Lucks, who has just won the lottery. Unfortunately for her, she was not the only winner of that lottery draw. Thugs Bode Gazzer and his best friend “Chub” hold the other jackpot-winning ticket, and they decide that getting only half of the $28,000,000 prize will simply not do. As such, they savagely beat JoLayne and steal her lottery ticket. She is left defenseless and turns to Tom Krome for help. To find out whether or not JoLayne manages to get her money and make her dream of saving a forest from being turned into a shopping mall come true, read Carl Hiaasen’s book. I promise it will make for a very exciting read.
3. “The Winner” – David Baldacci
In this thrilling novel, David Baldacci tells the story of LuAnn Tyler, an impoverished mother who lives in a trailer park. When she meets Jackson, and finds out about his elaborate plan to scam the National Lottery, LuAnn is tempted, yet she refuses to take part in it. Unfortunately for her, she is soon left with no choice but to accept a crucial part in the lottery scam after she is falsely accused of murder. Jackson’s plan comes out entirely successful and LuAnn becomes a millionaire. The sole condition imposed by Jackson is that she leaves the country, which she does immediately. Ten years later, though, LuAnn returns to the US, which brings about Jackson’s swift vengeance. The only person who can help her is the mysterious Matthew Riggs. Find out if LuAnn manages to outrun Jackson and the FBI in this exhilarating novel.
4. “The Lottery” – Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson’s short story is centered on an entirely different type of lottery. It takes place in a fictional small town in America, which organizes an annual ritual known as “the lottery” meant to ensure a good harvest. As the story unravels and readers get to find out more and more about the town, its residents, and their traditional practices, it becomes apparent that this was a lottery that nobody wanted to win. As the lottery draw approaches, the town’s people grow more and more alarmed. To find out about the gruesome outcome of the lottery, read Shirley Jackson’s iconic short story. Featured in the New York Times back in 1948, it is now considered to be “one of the most famous short stories in the history of American literature”.
5. “You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, An Accidental Lottery Winner” – Lilian Duval
Tobias Hillyer’s life is a sad story. After both his parents are killed in a car accident, he must take care of his brain-damaged young brother. To do so, he is forced to drop out of college and put aside the brilliant future he was aspiring to. Forced to take on numerous dead-end jobs, Tobias finds himself drifting further and further away from the academic career he had envisioned for himself. Then, as Tobias reaches his late thirties, a life-changing twist comes about as he wins the lottery. While being set free from all of his financial problems appears to finally free him to work towards his goals, Tobias finds out that being a lottery winner comes with great happiness, as well as some unexpected hardships.
These amazing books will provide you with remarkable insight into the lives of lottery winners and they will enable you to see the complex nature of this unexpected windfall. If you want to live your very own lottery winner story one day, remember that the first thing you have to do is put in your ticket. Good luck!
