Art Carney: A Biography (Applause Books)

Capering into fame as Jackie Gleason's sidekick in The Honeymooners, Art Carney proved later that he was no mere television personality but a real actor. He originated the part of neurotic Felix in Neil Simon's 1965 Broadway smash The Odd Couple, and his dual role in Brian Friel's Lovers garnered a 1968 Tony nomination; he won an Academy Award in 1974 for his poignant performance in Harry and Tonto. Michael Seth Starr traces this varied career with perception and empathy, revealing a hard-drinking, introverted, extremely private man totally unlike the blithely goofy Ed Norton.