I asked about The Dead and its claim to being "the greatest," and I thank you all for your responses.

I first read it at the end of Dubliners and did indeed think of it as part of a whole. Then later I read it 3 or 4 times as a separate piece, and although it was still great, it didn't have the impact it did the first time.

There are lists of greatest films, record albums, novels, and so on, and The Dead is usually listed at the top of "the greatest" short stories. The lists I've seen, at least. And if a piece is so universally acclaimed, you tend to wonder why. All I know is I've never come across a better story. Some I've enjoyed more, and some that are vital to the point of bursting even in translation, but none as good as The Dead.

On a related note, this thread made me wonder about a song from a film called A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). Actor James Dunn sat down at a piano and sang a slow ballad. I can't recall the name of the song, and brief research on the internet didn't turn up the information, so I posted a question at the IMDB (Internet Movie Database). The only response suggested the song might be "Annie Laurie." The poster left a link with words and a melody:

http://ingeb.org/songs/annielau.html

Been so long since I've seen the movie I really can't remember. This might be the song. If it is, perhaps the character had a particular reason for singing it. Irish-Americans in Brooklyn, New York, around 1900.

And speaking of greatness, I thought at the time I saw this film that it was perfect. When it was finished I thought back over every scene, and there was not one that could have been cut, not one that needed to be added. Perfect performances, perfect technically. A really special movie (but sad), if you've never seen it.