The Man With The Golden Arm Author:Nelson Algren In mid-century Chicago's West Side, Frankie Machine is a once-shrewd card sharp, now a junkie, whose "golden arm" shakes as he relies on morphine to overcome the pain of a war injury and to numb the guilt he feels for a drunken spree that put his wife, Sophie, in a wheelchair. Much of the psychological action centers on Sophie's attempts to mani... more »pulate Frankie. After Frankie kills his drug dealer and flees, he hangs himself in a seedy hotel. Winner of the 1950 National Book Award, this fiction classic was made into an acclaimed film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Frank Sinatra. "A masterpiece...change the names and, sadly, this dark urban tale remains completely relevant today." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)« less