Exploring The Princess of 72nd Street by Elaine Kraf — why is no one talking about this book?

By QuietStrange

I just finished *The Princess of 72nd Street* by Elaine Kraf and I’m still kind of reeling. It honestly felt unlike anything I’ve read—like trying to explain a super weird dream where your brain won’t let anything line up. One part in particular had me scratching my head: Melita’s giggling while she “gives birth” to this plum that somehow cries and bites her nipples, and then Doctor Clufftrain turns into a roach that scurries around for what feels like forever. Even the scenes with the other characters don’t really play by normal rules—everything is just… off in the strangest way. Even with all that chaos, I really liked listening to Ellen. Her inner thoughts feel crazy-fantastical and honestly kind of brilliant. I also noticed this one moment that made me pause: her inner monologue stops for the first time once her glow/radiance starts fading, and suddenly we get real dialogue between her and George. Did anyone else catch that? To me, Ellen’s rambling made the whole thing feel like a dark fairy tale—magical, wild, and emotionally weird in a good way. It didn’t feel like I was just reading about the Upper West Side; it felt like I got dropped into some completely different world. This is totally one of those “forgotten classics” that deserves way more attention. I’m curious how other people read the structure, or how you all saw Ellen as a character. Also, does anyone know what else Kraf wrote, or why this book didn’t get more notice?