Elaine Kraf is one of those unfortunate writers who has somehow fallen through the cracks of fame and almost disappeared in obscurity and yet her tiny published literary output is original and abstract and still relevant today.
Ellen is an artist (as was Elaine herself) but she is also Princess Esmeralda of 72nd Street, ruling over her imaginary kingdom created in a series of trance like episodes she has termed as Radiances.
The line between reality and madness is blurred by eccentric characters including Auriel, her false prince; Rombert, obsessed with urine samples; George, who teaches the Communist Manifesto and is seduced by Doctor Clutrain, an hysterical therapist.
Bleak but colourful, tinged with sexual promiscuity, enriched with feminist ideals and its unique oddness.

Looking at this book from the context of when it was written and published, this is a 4-star read, where the main character experiences mental health issues and tells her story to the reader.
From the present context, because we have well-written books in a similar vein, it is not as groundbreaking - 3.5 stars.
The themes are still relevant and important, the character, underrepresented.
In many instances, I enjoyed her voice and her wisdom about relationships sometimes resonated with me.
At other times, as intended, I found her annoying, shallow , but vulnerable and complex.

The Princess of 72nd Street by Elaine Kraf (UK release Jan 2025) is an affecting exploration of identity, resilience, and mental health set against the vibrant, unforgiving streets of 1970s New York. The novel centres on Ellen, a fiercely independent artist whose struggle to navigate life in a chaotic urban world is mirrored by the struggles in her mind.

The story paints a striking picture of how the pressures of the city—its noise, demands, and relentless pace—can weigh heavily on the mind. Her moments of strength contrast with times of deep vulnerability, creating a  portrayal of someone striving to maintain balance in an environment that often feels overwhelming. The novel doesn’t shy away from the stigma surrounding mental health, showing how it affects relationships, self-perception, and the pursuit of one’s dreams.

The Upper West Side and its denizens become a reflection of Ellen’s beleaguered and artistic mind: unpredictable, chaotic, busting with colour, and peppered with moments of unexpected beauty.

The writing captures this duality with zest, bringing us moments of great, if dark, humour and joy among Ellen’s bleaker periods of sadness and confusion. Bustling city life is contrasted with moments of quiet introspection, offering insight into Ellen’s inner world as it erupts into a state of heady, heedless, rapture that she calls ‘Radiance’.

During each “Radiance” Ellen believes herself to be Esmerelda, the eponymous “Princess of 72nd Street”, and feels delightfully free of earthly constraints. It’s clear to the reader, however, that Ellen is extremely vulnerable in this state, wholly unable to control her actions, and that this vulnerability is often exploited terribly by the people around her.

A tale of survival and hope, this novel’s frank but nuanced portrayal of mental health make it a moving read, which may not be to everyone’s taste – it’s a necessarily surrealistic and fragmented narrative, and Ellen’s telling of it cannot relied be upon - but I’m very glad to have read it and shared her truth(s).

For me this book was a very interesting take on mental health from the time frame of the 70's. It felt disjointed and yet intrigued to see it from a woman's POV during times of intense depression and manic episodes, it reminded me of a more intense 'Bell Jar'. At times Ellen feels so free and vibrant and at others I felt such sadness for her because those around her don't experience the world in the same way.
Overall the whole story feels chaotic and intensely dazzling and I am so glad Kraf's words have been re-released as I didn't know of her works prior to this review copy, now I will definitely be adding more to my TBR pile!

An overlooked classic, Kraf’s 1979 novel tells the story of Ellen, an artist living in New York. She experiences what she terms ‘radiances’, episodes of giddy unreality during which she believes herself to be Princess Esmerelda reigning over her kingdom of 72nd Street.

Throughout the novel Kraf tackles questions of authority. She asks us; who has the right to judge what is sane or insane? The figures who surround Ellen are, by no stretch of the imagination, mentally stable, and the character of the mental health practitioner ends up suffering a nervous breakdown himself. The fact that this occurs to the apparent arbiter of sanity implies that the line between sanity and insanity is rather more arbitrary than we would like to believe. It is something that fluctuates with circumstances. In The Princess of 72nd Street Kraf refuses to let these questions of power rest easy, constantly bring more forces into play - gender, art, social class. Although never seeking to provide definitive answers, the novel creates multi-shaded portraits of the amount of control we can exercise over the inner lives of others.

This is a fascinating look at mental health and female freedom. It is startlingly modern in its telling, something which I feel stems primarily from the fascinating first-person narrative style. Ellen is unique among unreliable narrators in that she is very aware of her own unreliable-ness and the potential she possesses for altered perception. She exhibits an astounding level of self-reflection and awareness. As such, no matter whether she is Princess Esmerelda or Ellen, she is consistently honest about her experience of the world. This results in a vibrant and sometimes humorous look at ideas of perception and intersubjectivity.

First published in 1979 this is the story of Ellen, an artist living in New York. Ellen struggles with meaningful loving relationships and the exes that she amasses and her art. She has an alter-ego Esmerelda, who appears to her during times of what Ellen describes as radiances. These euphoric states see Esmerelda taking over Ellen's life.

Esmerelda is the Princess of 72nd Street. She checks in on her subjects during the times of radiance with benevolence and joy. Sometimes this works in her favour, other times it doesn't. Often, when Ellen comes back to herself, she has to clean up the mess that Esmerelda has created in mind and body. Sometimes Esmerelda goes too far and is detained in mental hospitals and given drugs to quiet the effects of radiance.

This is a sharp, emotionally cogent account of what it's like to live with mental health problems. It's funny and shocking and violent and celebratory. Ellen welcomes the radiance because it's gorgeous and welcoming, but she fears what the world does to her under its influence. What I loved is that this isn't a clear cut account. There are elements of the radiance that totally work and which allow Esmerelda to show Ellen clearly what is happening in her non radiant life and then there are the other times when the balance tips. I loved that there are no right answers here, which there never are with mental health. This is an extremely modern book considering it was written nearly fifty years ago.

I really enjoyed this read.

It was first published in 1979 and talks of mental health and women. Having lived in 79 I know this was not a 'big issue' then no one knew of it as it wasn;t talked about like it is today.. Mommy's little helpers were kept under wraps.

It is a powerful read and although it has aged quite well I would love to read a more modern version and see how the main character would fair today

A very strange, very fun book. This book explores the way that mentally ill women are treated in society. It was heartbreaking at times, especially when Ellen takes over and is more lucid, seeing the way in which she was treated so poorly by men. Despite being written in the late 1970s, the messaging is still relevant today.

The Princess of 72nd Street by Elaine Kraf explores women's mental health in an experimental way. A challenging but rewarding read.

3.5 stars
A thrilling take on mental health, manic episodes and womens rights, this book was interesting to read. The unreliable narrator added to the entertainment and also saved this book, I think if it was narrated in a typical way it might have lost some of its charm and excitement. The commentary on women and their rights in society was also interesting and added to the book, overall a fun short read.