The Night of the Moonbow by Thomas Tryon

The Night of the Moonbow - Thomas Tryon

'Night of the Moonbow' seems to be a struggle between two aspects of Tryon's talent. He had proven himself as adept in conjuring up a small community, and conveying the mechanics of life within it, and in quietly building up an atmosphere of unease.

In previous novels Tryon focused on the sinister under-currents that can be present in such small communities that didn't necessarily always have a supernatural origin. The books progressed at different speeds, but there was always an element of subtlety in how those dark under-currents were revealed.

'The Night of the Moonbow' is a bit ham-fisted by comparison. It's about a single summer in a religious youth camp that centers on an orphan named Leo Joaquim (Wack-Eem, "Wacko") with a mysterious past.

Leo and other characters: Reece Harstig, Tiger Abernathy, Ma Seabrook, Honey Oliphant and others have moments where their characterization seems genuine, but it is rare when any of them have that drawn-from-life aura that I've found in the other novels I've read of Tryon's.

I recognize that it can be unfair to compare an author's books with one another, as often they are completely different creatures. In this case I was disappointed precisely because I read this book, which did not strike me as worth picking-up, only because Tryon wrote it. The last book of his like that I'd picked up, 'Lady', was one of the best reading surprises I've had all year. I'll still seek out his other books - even if this story didn't take off for me - because Tryon is a talented writer.