This is a collection of previously published stories, that are both dark and delightful. My favorites were as follows.
In my opinion the best was definitely saved for last, as I laughed my way through the final story “Welcome to Friendly Skies” while thinking yes I have flown on this over booked plane, no seat left for you? stuff yourself in the overhead compartment. A dark satire that filled me with dread and giggles.
I also enjoyed the first story "Dismember" though poor Jill should have chosen a better role model.
"Great Blue Heron" was an amazing story of fear and grief culminating in a satisfying twist at the end. "Heartbreak" is what happens when Stephanie's jealousy of her sister gets the best of her.
All in all a good solid collection that is well worth a read.

I received an advance copy for review
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“Dis Mem Ber” is a collection of seven short stories by Joyce Carol Oates. This collection is not her strongest stories. The collection is described as “gothic,” but I did not find these stories to fit this description at all.

The best story was the title story, “Dis Mem Ber.” It is a strong, creepy story of a child molester and the victims. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The other stories fell short.

“The Crawl Space” wasn’t too bad, but the ending fell short for me. It centers on a widow who is obsessed by the house she and her husband used to live in.

“Hearbreak” is about teenagers and a gun. What could go wrong, right? Not a bad story, but Oates’ anti-gun feelings show through in this story.

“The Drowned Girl” is about a college girl who drowns in a water tank and her fellow student who is obsessed over the death. The story, especially the ending just didn’t engage me.

“The Situations” is a disturbing story of a dad who drowns kittens his daughters just found on the side of the road and rescued.

“Great Blue Heron” is a strange story. The story is full of allegory and symbolism with a touch of magical realism thrown in.

“Welcome To Friendly Skies” is a satirical view of the routine pre-flight instructions given by the flight crew. This story just fell flat. Not engaging at all.

Overall, the stories are not a fair representation of Oates’s talent. “Dis Mem Ber,” “The Drowned Girl,” and “The Situations” were the best stories, especially the title story. ( )

When a man is irritated, it's like he might flail out with his fists. Not hard, and not to hurt, not even on purpose, but he might do it reflexively, and you might get hurt if you are standing too close. And if a man hurts you, and you show that hurt, and your eyes lock with his, he will never forgive you. For you will always be the girl he has hurt, which means you are the girl he can always hurt again.

DIS MEM BER: ★★★☆☆
The Crawl Space: ★★☆☆☆
Heartbreak: ★★★★★
The Drowned Girl: ★★★★★
The Situations: ★★☆☆☆
Great Blue Heron: ★★★★★
Welcome to Friendly Skies!: ★☆☆☆☆

Speed review: Ready, Set, Go
Why I Read This: Joyce Carol Oates was on my to do list and it was on the new fiction rack at the library.
Holds Hands With: "The Yellow Wallpaper"
What I Loved: The feverish, violent gems that don't quite conform to feminist tropes, yet remain unabashedly grounded in women's lives and reality. The touch of magical realism that could be madness.
What I Hated: Some of the stories were big misses; too long and actually conformed just fine to feminist tropes (not good ones).
Yea or Nay?: Definitely give "Heartbreak," "The Drowned Girl," and "Great Blue Heron" a read. Fantastic storytelling. YMMV on the rest. ( )

Dis Mem Ber is an excellent collection of stories previously published elsewhere. The only threads they have in common is that they are all from a woman's point of view, (except for WELCOME TO FRIENDLY SKIES!), and they are all unsettling.

My favorite had to be the first story, DISMEMBER, in which a young girl narrowly escapes what could have been a nasty end.

HEARTBREAK was the story of two sisters, one beautiful and the other, not so much. Sometimes jealousy can get out of hand, before we even realize we are jealous.

I also enjoyed BLUE HERON quite a bit. This is the story of a widow dealing with her grief while trying to avoid her scummy brother-in-law who wants her to sell her lake-house.

Lastly, WELCOME TO FRIENDLY SKIES! had to be one of the funniest stories I've read in years. I'm not going to say anything further about it, as I think it's best to go into it cold.

Overall, this was a satisfying collection of stories from one of the masters of American short fiction.
Highly recommended!

You can get your copy here: DIS MEM BER and Other Stories of Mystery and Suspense

*Thanks to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*

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Another great collection - Welcome to the Friendly Skies was a perfect end to this book. ( )