Dubliners (1914) by James Joyce. The short story collection in which "The Dead" appears provides context for a better understanding of the story as part of a unified whole, with themes and characters interwoven throughout.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) by James Joyce. Joyce's autobiographical novel features Joyce's alter-ego Stephen Dedalus. Although technically a work of fiction, this work gives insight to Joyce's character and his aesthetic theories.

In Our Time (1914) by Ernest Hemingway. This is Hemingway's first collection of short stories. He writes in a style similar to Joyce's, presenting the action with little or no comment.

The Stranger (1942) by Albert Camus. Originally published in French as L'entranger, this novel's main character, Mersault, is much like the people in "The Dead." Charged with the crime of murder, Mersault has an epiphany as he sits awaiting his...