The Dead

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Described by T.S. Eliot as one of the greatest short stories ever written, The Dead is a beautifully crafted novella by Irish novelist and literary critic, James Joyce.

Its Christmastime in Dublin. The snow is falling. And a thirty-year strong annual Christmas party is underway. Gabriel Conroy, nephew to the hosts, frets over his impending after-dinner speech, while Gretta, his wife, wanders the affair thinking of her childhood home. The lavish festivities proceed in full swing, Gabriels long-awaited speech ends in a rousing rendition of For They Are Jolly Gay Fellow, and as the party winds to a close, the guests spill out into the winter nightall except for Gretta.

At the top of the stairs she stands chillingly still, seemingly mesmerized by the sounds of a soft song being sung in another room. And while the Conroys eventually leave, Grettas mind remains with the musichaunted by a long-lost memory that will shake her husband to his core.

James Joyces The Dead is a critically acclaimed novella that explores how much of living we owe to lives of the dead and how much the ghosts of our past truly shape us.

Author Bio

James Joyce (1882-1941) was an Irish author, poet, teacher, and critic. Joyce centered most of his work around the city of Dublin, and portrays characters inspired by the author's family, friends, enemies, and acquaintances. After a drunken fight and misunderstanding, Joyce and his wife, Nora Barnacle, self-exiled, leaving their home and traveling from country to country. Though he moved way from Ireland, Joyce continued to write about the region and was popular among the rise of Irish nationalism. Joyce is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. While his most famous work is his novel Ulysses, Joyce wrote many novels and poetry collections, including some that were published posthumously.