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The Night of the Moonbow
In this spellbinding novel of idyllic childhoods torn apart by the blossoming terror of child pitted against child, Tryon spins a tale of the hidden horrors that lurk behind children's innocence, and an inevitable explosion of evil.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Thomas Tryon
22 books276 followersIt was Noel Coward’s partner, Gertrude Lawrence, who encouraged Tom to try acting. He made his Broadway debut in 1952 in the chorus of the musical Wish You Were Here. He also worked in television at the time, but as a production assistant. In 1955, he moved to California to try his hand at the movies, and the next year made his film debut in The Scarlet Hour (1956). Tom was cast in the title role of the Disney TV series Texas John Slaughter (1958) that made him something of a household name. He appeared in several horror and science fiction films: I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) and Moon Pilot (1962) and in westerns: Three Violent People (1956) and Winchester '73 (1967). He was part of the all-star cast in The Longest Day (1962), a film of the World War II generation, credited with saving 20th Century Fox Studios, after the disaster of Cleopatra. He considered his best role to be in In Harm's Way (1965), which is also regarded as one of the better films about World War II.
While filming the title role in The Cardinal (1962), Tom suffered from Otto Preminger's Teutonic directing style and became physically ill. Nevertheless, Tom was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1963. He appeared with Marilyn Monroe in her final film, Something's Got to Give (1962), but the studio fired Monroe after three weeks, and the film was never finished. That experience, along with the Cardinal ordeal, left Tom wary of studio games and weary at waiting around for the phone to ring.
After viewing the film Rosemary's Baby (1968), Tom was inspired to write his own horror novel, and in 1971 Alfred Knopf published The Other. It became an instant bestseller and was turned into a movie in 1972, which Tom wrote and produced. Thereafter, despite occasional film and TV offers, Tom gave up acting to write fiction full-time. This he did eight to ten hours a day, with pencil, on legal-sized yellow tablets. Years later, he graduated to an IBM Selectric.
The Other was followed by Lady (1975), which concerns the friendship between an eight-year-old boy and a mysterious widow in 1930s New England. His book Crowned Heads became an inspiration for the Billy Wilder film Fedora (1978), and a miniseries with Bette Davis was made from his novel Harvest Home (1978). All That Glitters (1986), a quintette of stories about thinly disguised Hollywood greats and near-greats followed. Night of the Moonbow (1989), tells of a boy driven to violence by the constant harassment he endures at a summer camp. Night Magic, about an urban street magician with wondrous powers, written shortly before his death in 1991, was posthumously published in 1995. The dust jackets and end papers of Tom's books, about which he took unusual care, are excellent examples of his gifts as an artist and graphic designer, further testimony to the breadth of his talents.
While filming the title role in The Cardinal (1962), Tom suffered from Otto Preminger's Teutonic directing style and became physically ill. Nevertheless, Tom was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1963. He appeared with Marilyn Monroe in her final film, Something's Got to Give (1962), but the studio fired Monroe after three weeks, and the film was never finished. That experience, along with the Cardinal ordeal, left Tom wary of studio games and weary at waiting around for the phone to ring.
After viewing the film Rosemary's Baby (1968), Tom was inspired to write his own horror novel, and in 1971 Alfred Knopf published The Other. It became an instant bestseller and was turned into a movie in 1972, which Tom wrote and produced. Thereafter, despite occasional film and TV offers, Tom gave up acting to write fiction full-time. This he did eight to ten hours a day, with pencil, on legal-sized yellow tablets. Years later, he graduated to an IBM Selectric.
The Other was followed by Lady (1975), which concerns the friendship between an eight-year-old boy and a mysterious widow in 1930s New England. His book Crowned Heads became an inspiration for the Billy Wilder film Fedora (1978), and a miniseries with Bette Davis was made from his novel Harvest Home (1978). All That Glitters (1986), a quintette of stories about thinly disguised Hollywood greats and near-greats followed. Night of the Moonbow (1989), tells of a boy driven to violence by the constant harassment he endures at a summer camp. Night Magic, about an urban street magician with wondrous powers, written shortly before his death in 1991, was posthumously published in 1995. The dust jackets and end papers of Tom's books, about which he took unusual care, are excellent examples of his gifts as an artist and graphic designer, further testimony to the breadth of his talents.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 15, 2024
This book took me a while to read and it wasn’t due to the author. This book was very captivating and alluring. I do agree with other people this book definitely gives a “Lord of the flies” type of setting. This book is about Leo who spends a summer at a camp and immediately he isn’t liked by his camp mates. This book is about the value of friendship, stepping up for what is right and finding out about yourself. One thing I will say I don’t give nothing away Pa Starbuck he is the definition of turning the other eye when “boys” is creating havoc on others. He is the kind of person that allows “boys to be boys” and overlooking their disgusting behavior, he is just as guilty for the events that transpired. Honestly this book was good. It’s a summer camp anything can happen.
September 5, 2019
Bummer. The Other is arguably my favorite horror novel, and Thomas Tryon was certainly a talented writer. But this book just didn’t do it for me.
The synopsis sounds promising: this story takes place at a boys’ camp in 1938. Part coming of age, part horror (though this is Tryon, so most of the horror is implied), I figured I’d give this a high rating with no issue. Alas, I wasn’t able to immerse myself into this book’s world. It lacks the finesse and oppressive atmosphere of something like Harvest Home. But I think I wouldn’t have liked this book even if I hadn’t previously read this writer’s earlier, better works.
Leo and Tiger were written well enough, and they’re the reason I was able to keep reading, but the other characters fell flat. And I found myself beginning to skim large chunks of this book, eager to just finish.
Because this is Tryon — a man who could certainly write his ass off — I am giving this two stars. But I didn’t enjoy myself, I didn’t like most of the characters, and the novel as a whole falls short of the Tryon legacy. Newcomers to this author should check out his early titles instead.
Read for ‘deceased author’ in Halloween Bingo.
The synopsis sounds promising: this story takes place at a boys’ camp in 1938. Part coming of age, part horror (though this is Tryon, so most of the horror is implied), I figured I’d give this a high rating with no issue. Alas, I wasn’t able to immerse myself into this book’s world. It lacks the finesse and oppressive atmosphere of something like Harvest Home. But I think I wouldn’t have liked this book even if I hadn’t previously read this writer’s earlier, better works.
Leo and Tiger were written well enough, and they’re the reason I was able to keep reading, but the other characters fell flat. And I found myself beginning to skim large chunks of this book, eager to just finish.
Because this is Tryon — a man who could certainly write his ass off — I am giving this two stars. But I didn’t enjoy myself, I didn’t like most of the characters, and the novel as a whole falls short of the Tryon legacy. Newcomers to this author should check out his early titles instead.
Read for ‘deceased author’ in Halloween Bingo.
June 18, 2016
I have always enjoyed Thomas Tryon's writing and this story does not disappoint.
Possible spoilers... there is a big "Lord of The Flies" element to this story. Also, it takes place on the eve of the United States entering into the Second World War. One of the main characters doesn't exactly fit with the other campers and his protagonist was part of the local Bund.
This book shows how one person's ideals can infect the minds of others.
Four more Tryon's to go and then I will have read all the works currently in print.
Possible spoilers... there is a big "Lord of The Flies" element to this story. Also, it takes place on the eve of the United States entering into the Second World War. One of the main characters doesn't exactly fit with the other campers and his protagonist was part of the local Bund.
This book shows how one person's ideals can infect the minds of others.
Four more Tryon's to go and then I will have read all the works currently in print.
September 18, 2019
Review to follow...
Read
August 29, 2016gripping on the bone
chilling to the marrow
i need to read Lord of the Flies again
chilling to the marrow
i need to read Lord of the Flies again
October 11, 2016
Thomas Tryon has become one of my favorite fiction authors of all time. He's hard to classify--some of his work (Lady comes to mind) is obviously straight up fiction. Much of his other work is horror or has a horror undertone to it. This book falls somewhere in between. It's horrifying at times, but not in a traditional sense. This book gave me a complicated feeling--I loved it, but it was hard to "enjoy". There is a lot of tough stuff in this--bullying in the extreme, racism, disappointment, children in peril...but it is gripping. His writing style is so eloquent and so beautiful that even when horrible things are happening you can't proverbially look away--it will continue to draw you in. It has a bit of a "Stand by Me" coming of age feel to it but it's dark--so dark. You will fall in love with several of the characters (the main character in particular) and the details make you feel like you are right there in summer camp with these boys, smelling the campfire smoke and getting pantsed. I have to say, it was an odd feeling to love the book and the main character in particular but to feel somewhat dark when the book ended--I think that is more to do with my overly sentimental nature and soft heart than any flaw on the part of the book. I highly recommend this one.
Shelved as 'in-kindle-book-format-on-deck-list'
May 4, 2024It's been 20 years since I last read, but the memory lingers. Looking forward to giving it a reread.
September 13, 2019
I loved The Other, and I am honestly surprised (and kicking myself) that I never got around to seeing what else Tryon had written.
After buddy-reading this one, I am definitely a fan!
While Night of the Moonbow isn’t a classic type of horror novel, the way Tryon builds tension and dread throughout puts it firmly in the category for me.
And boy, does he deliver on the ending—I was speed-reading, waiting to see what everything was building to, and I have to say, this has to be an example of perfect storytelling.
The story follows a bright young boy, Leo Joaquim, who was orphaned in a traumatic way and was chosen out of his orphanage to spend the summer at a boy’s camp called Camp Friend-Indeed.
But he doesn’t quite fit in, and despite a few friends trying to help him out, one counselor in specific is out to get him and make sure everyone knows he isn’t Friend-Indeed stock. I identified so much with this kid. He is whip-smart and has a bit of a smart mouth. He is creative and excels at things he is interested in, like playing violin and adding to his spider collection, but is not so great at sports. He has a very different way of thinking about things—and it’s this that gets in the way with the other kids and adults. In a place that is very regimented and leans heavily on physical displays like swimming and baseball as the way to show excellence, they can’t wrap their mind around his individuality and brand him as an outsider.
And you know how boys will be boys. . . They are on the lookout for any weakness and will exploit it.
This story is more than reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, with the mob mentality of children and how the boys really have the run of the hierarchy of the camp. The adults do not have a lot of control even when they see things going wrong or are just blind to it.
I also loved how the story was situated historically at a time when Hitler was just coming to power in Germany. Though the book is set in New England, there are moments of anti-Semitism and bullying that set the stage for what is about to come.
This is a brilliant story that creeps in the darkness and goes for the throat with a satisfying and chilling ending.
After buddy-reading this one, I am definitely a fan!
While Night of the Moonbow isn’t a classic type of horror novel, the way Tryon builds tension and dread throughout puts it firmly in the category for me.
And boy, does he deliver on the ending—I was speed-reading, waiting to see what everything was building to, and I have to say, this has to be an example of perfect storytelling.
The story follows a bright young boy, Leo Joaquim, who was orphaned in a traumatic way and was chosen out of his orphanage to spend the summer at a boy’s camp called Camp Friend-Indeed.
But he doesn’t quite fit in, and despite a few friends trying to help him out, one counselor in specific is out to get him and make sure everyone knows he isn’t Friend-Indeed stock. I identified so much with this kid. He is whip-smart and has a bit of a smart mouth. He is creative and excels at things he is interested in, like playing violin and adding to his spider collection, but is not so great at sports. He has a very different way of thinking about things—and it’s this that gets in the way with the other kids and adults. In a place that is very regimented and leans heavily on physical displays like swimming and baseball as the way to show excellence, they can’t wrap their mind around his individuality and brand him as an outsider.
And you know how boys will be boys. . . They are on the lookout for any weakness and will exploit it.
This story is more than reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, with the mob mentality of children and how the boys really have the run of the hierarchy of the camp. The adults do not have a lot of control even when they see things going wrong or are just blind to it.
I also loved how the story was situated historically at a time when Hitler was just coming to power in Germany. Though the book is set in New England, there are moments of anti-Semitism and bullying that set the stage for what is about to come.
This is a brilliant story that creeps in the darkness and goes for the throat with a satisfying and chilling ending.
May 18, 2017
Well, it's been 30+ years since I read The Other and Harvest Home, but I remembered them so fondly that, growing suddenly hungry for a subtle, well written, haunting little potboiler like I used to read in my youth, I poured through an old stack of pocketbooks on the shelf and came up with this, found in a thrift store last summer for 50 cents. Sadly, it wasn't quite up to the beauty of those mainstream horror gems of Tryon's glory days (at least as I remember them) but it is, more or less, what you'd expect from late Tryon, out of his initial ideas, trying to recreate/maintain the magic of his early successes. Obviously the elephant in the literary world between early and late Tryon is Stephen King, who'd changed the game by the late 1980s with his poorly written but occasionally utterly terrifying literary junk food, and his phenomenal domination of the '80s Reaganomic, glitzy up-scaling of pulp horror is wholly responsible for the glossy and lurid cover of this dime-store pocketbook of embossed silver, black, and blood red letters proclaiming the novel "chilling" twice and worthy even of "terror."
Not at all bad, The Night of the Moonbow is just unsubtle enough to telegraph its aims way too quickly, leaving one wholly unsurprised at each of its carefully calculated denouements. It situates itself unsatisfyingly between a classic coming-of-age story (rather predictable but engrossing for the characters, language, situation) and a potboiler (which lives on rhythm, surprise, and pacing.) So, without the latter and only partially successful at the former (the descriptive language is lovely--I can see and smell the camp and its labyrinthine spaces still--but the characters were actually rather shallow, bordering on cliche) it's a cowbird, a chickenfish, a very, very pleasant waste of time. (Better than TV or a shitty Marvel or Star Wars movie but not yet exactly a work of art.) I wish I'd re-read Harvest Home instead.
Not at all bad, The Night of the Moonbow is just unsubtle enough to telegraph its aims way too quickly, leaving one wholly unsurprised at each of its carefully calculated denouements. It situates itself unsatisfyingly between a classic coming-of-age story (rather predictable but engrossing for the characters, language, situation) and a potboiler (which lives on rhythm, surprise, and pacing.) So, without the latter and only partially successful at the former (the descriptive language is lovely--I can see and smell the camp and its labyrinthine spaces still--but the characters were actually rather shallow, bordering on cliche) it's a cowbird, a chickenfish, a very, very pleasant waste of time. (Better than TV or a shitty Marvel or Star Wars movie but not yet exactly a work of art.) I wish I'd re-read Harvest Home instead.
November 5, 2022
I wouldn't necessarily classify this as horror, and I think some of the taglines on the cover of this book are quite misleading. However, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story. I actually ended up getting very invested in this slow-burn, coming-of-age tale which is set in the past at a Bible camp.
On the surface, this isn't the type of story I would usually gravitate to. But I think the character development in this book is top-notch, and that allows the reader to become extremely immersed in the story and the fate of the campers. Plus, the ending was surprising. I went into this not knowing what to expect, and came out of the experience pleasantly surprised.
I wouldn't recommend this book to readers who like fast-past, plot-leaning reads. This is a character-driven story.
On the surface, this isn't the type of story I would usually gravitate to. But I think the character development in this book is top-notch, and that allows the reader to become extremely immersed in the story and the fate of the campers. Plus, the ending was surprising. I went into this not knowing what to expect, and came out of the experience pleasantly surprised.
I wouldn't recommend this book to readers who like fast-past, plot-leaning reads. This is a character-driven story.
August 13, 2019
Some things in life make absolutely no sense. That Thomas Tryon isn’t a household name is one of them. I’m too young to know what it was like to watch him transition from film actor to man of letters, but it must have been deeply satisfying for him to make the transition as admirably as he did. There had to be doubters. It’s easy to imagine the cynicism that might have accompanied the shift. Maybe I would have been a bit skeptical myself.
The Night of the Moonbow should have been enough to put such concerns to bed, for those not already convinced by Tryon's previous books, such as The Other and Harvest Home. It is one of the finest books I remember reading in my teenage years. I recently read it again, and it was a rare pleasure. Not only did the novel live up to every one of my fondest memories. It surpassed them all.
Welcome to Camp Friend-Indeed, which proudly claims to make “Glad Men from Happy Boys.” What the slogan leaves out, of course, is what can be expected of not-so-happy boys who arrive at the Connecticut summer camp several years before the United States would enter the fray of World War II. The paperback that was my first encounter with Moonbow was marketed as a horror novel, right down to the garish raised lettering on the front cover and the hyperbole on the back. But this is no horror novel.
Except that it is—kind of. The term “psychological horror” can get us out of a lot of tight squeezes, so maybe that’s the file drawer I’ll slip Moonbow into for now. Still, there is a sense that if The Night of the Moonbow can be called a horror novel, damn near anything can. Really it’s a novel about friendship, adolescence, courage, and trauma—though of course a horror novel can be about all of those things as well. Moonbow also happens to be beautifully written, with characters so lovingly wrought it’s easy to feel that you’re moving among them as you follow them from cabin to lodge to “haunted” house to dining hall to campfire to lake (Tryon’s map at the beginning of the book only intensifies this effect). I suppose that’s what all the best books do, put you smack dab in the action, where you can live and breathe the setting right along with the characters. But I feel that the boys at Camp Friend-Indeed gather in a bit closer than the characters of many books. You can almost tousle their hair as they run past, and feel the breeze that stirs in their wake. You certainly wish you could step in to take corrective action on more than one occasion.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that The Night of the Moonbow has powerful magic coursing through its pages, like all great books. I’ve done a bit of literary prestidigitation myself, and part of the process remains as mysterious to me as ever. The closest I’ve come to unraveling its secrets is to understand that you have to open yourself up to the magic. At least that way, if it does come, it will have a way in. And of course some tricks are easier to pull off than others. Plenty of writers can separate the occasional Chinese linking rings or make a dove disappear behind a handkerchief, but the illusion in Moonbow is more prodigious than that. In it, Thomas Tryon levitates the so-called real world so you can see the one beneath it. Some of what you see there is beautiful, while some of it is, yes, horrifying. All of it feels true.
Abracadabra, ladies and gentlemen. That’s a neat trick.
The Night of the Moonbow should have been enough to put such concerns to bed, for those not already convinced by Tryon's previous books, such as The Other and Harvest Home. It is one of the finest books I remember reading in my teenage years. I recently read it again, and it was a rare pleasure. Not only did the novel live up to every one of my fondest memories. It surpassed them all.
Welcome to Camp Friend-Indeed, which proudly claims to make “Glad Men from Happy Boys.” What the slogan leaves out, of course, is what can be expected of not-so-happy boys who arrive at the Connecticut summer camp several years before the United States would enter the fray of World War II. The paperback that was my first encounter with Moonbow was marketed as a horror novel, right down to the garish raised lettering on the front cover and the hyperbole on the back. But this is no horror novel.
Except that it is—kind of. The term “psychological horror” can get us out of a lot of tight squeezes, so maybe that’s the file drawer I’ll slip Moonbow into for now. Still, there is a sense that if The Night of the Moonbow can be called a horror novel, damn near anything can. Really it’s a novel about friendship, adolescence, courage, and trauma—though of course a horror novel can be about all of those things as well. Moonbow also happens to be beautifully written, with characters so lovingly wrought it’s easy to feel that you’re moving among them as you follow them from cabin to lodge to “haunted” house to dining hall to campfire to lake (Tryon’s map at the beginning of the book only intensifies this effect). I suppose that’s what all the best books do, put you smack dab in the action, where you can live and breathe the setting right along with the characters. But I feel that the boys at Camp Friend-Indeed gather in a bit closer than the characters of many books. You can almost tousle their hair as they run past, and feel the breeze that stirs in their wake. You certainly wish you could step in to take corrective action on more than one occasion.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that The Night of the Moonbow has powerful magic coursing through its pages, like all great books. I’ve done a bit of literary prestidigitation myself, and part of the process remains as mysterious to me as ever. The closest I’ve come to unraveling its secrets is to understand that you have to open yourself up to the magic. At least that way, if it does come, it will have a way in. And of course some tricks are easier to pull off than others. Plenty of writers can separate the occasional Chinese linking rings or make a dove disappear behind a handkerchief, but the illusion in Moonbow is more prodigious than that. In it, Thomas Tryon levitates the so-called real world so you can see the one beneath it. Some of what you see there is beautiful, while some of it is, yes, horrifying. All of it feels true.
Abracadabra, ladies and gentlemen. That’s a neat trick.
December 23, 2018
This is the third Tom Tryon book I've read and the third Tom Tryon book I've loved. I first read 'The Other' years ago and recently reread 'Harvest Home' and marvel at how he writes stories that almost seem tailor made for me. It's amazing that he was a successful movie star who walked away from it all to write books and the very first one he wrote was a bestseller and turned into a successful movie. I love his prose, dialogue and descriptions of whatever subject and period he is writing about. This one is set at a boy's camp before WWII and centers around an orphan who doesn't really fit in with the other boys, especially his camp counselor. Boys will be boys and bullies will be bullies and people will be sheep, but a true heart will not lead one too far astray even in the darkest of days. Highly recommended.
February 5, 2022
I think I might have liked this book more if the cover didn't try so hard to sell it as some kind of horror novel. It's really an interesting enough coming-of-age book, with strong overtones of Lord of the Flies.
Set in a Bible camp next to a lake, we have an interesting enough mix of privileged boys into which is thrust an orphan misfit who happens to be a musical prodigy. AND there are overtones of Nazi-ism, so really, what's not to like?
Thomas Tryon reached a deserved level of renown in the 70s for The Other and Harvest Home, 2 chilling horror novels. This book is scary, but because of the humans (mostly the rice and/or religous ones), not anything supernatural or "made flesh."
Set in a Bible camp next to a lake, we have an interesting enough mix of privileged boys into which is thrust an orphan misfit who happens to be a musical prodigy. AND there are overtones of Nazi-ism, so really, what's not to like?
Thomas Tryon reached a deserved level of renown in the 70s for The Other and Harvest Home, 2 chilling horror novels. This book is scary, but because of the humans (mostly the rice and/or religous ones), not anything supernatural or "made flesh."
November 29, 2021
I got this book because I was a big fan of Harvest Home, liked The Other. But Moonbow was a huge disappointment. There is nothing remotely horror about it, and it's not even particularly full of thriller elements. It's mostly a boring, drawn out story about bullying.
I see numerous reviews that compare this to Lord of the Flies. Other than young boys who are mean to each other, there's really zero comparison between the two. LotF is about how civilized society suddenly left unchecked will resort back to animal instincts and anarchy. TNotM is about a poor orphan who doesn't fit in being sent to a summer camp with a long tradition of machismo and a bunch of privileged WASPs, most of whom don't take to outsiders or misfits like the orphan or the one counselor who escaped Nazi Germany. What ensues is 400 pages of said orphan thinking he has ideas to finally fit in that work, and then they don't leaving him more ostracized, until most of the camp is hostile towards him while those in authority turn a blind eye. The social commentary Tryon may or may not have been trying to make easily could have been made in half the pages without the repetitive bullying of the boy. 1* just because I ended up not liking the story.
I see numerous reviews that compare this to Lord of the Flies. Other than young boys who are mean to each other, there's really zero comparison between the two. LotF is about how civilized society suddenly left unchecked will resort back to animal instincts and anarchy. TNotM is about a poor orphan who doesn't fit in being sent to a summer camp with a long tradition of machismo and a bunch of privileged WASPs, most of whom don't take to outsiders or misfits like the orphan or the one counselor who escaped Nazi Germany. What ensues is 400 pages of said orphan thinking he has ideas to finally fit in that work, and then they don't leaving him more ostracized, until most of the camp is hostile towards him while those in authority turn a blind eye. The social commentary Tryon may or may not have been trying to make easily could have been made in half the pages without the repetitive bullying of the boy. 1* just because I ended up not liking the story.
July 22, 2020
The Night of the Moonbow may be an exemplar of true horror, for after all what is horror but a slow crawl towards tragedy? Though the story ends on a hopeful note, a student of history knows better. The events unfolding in the background culminated in methodical genocide and the attitudes present that drove the plot are still very much alive today. Leo Joaquim may have lived a happy life and been a great violinist, he may have been drafted and died in WWII, regardless the darkness in the hearts of men and boys is still alive and well.
March 19, 2010
Loved this! A boy coming of age at a bible camp where everything goes wrong for him- including his past coming back to haunt him.
December 29, 2021
3.5 stars
Definitely not one of Thomas Tyron's best works. Seemed overly long and contained very little suspense or mystery.
The plot can basically boiled down to acts of continuously escalating bullying at camp Freind-Indeed heaped upon one camper, Leo, who constantly makes poor or misunderstood decisions. An orphan who witnessed his own mother's brutal murder at the hands of his stepfather and was so traumatized he spent time in a mental institution, then an orphanage.
Sent to a highly religious summer camp in 1938, his poor social skills constantly place him at odds with nearly everyone in his cabin, named "Jeremiah," and in particular the counselor of the cabin, Reece. It doesn't aid Leo that he would rather play his violin and collect spiders than play baseball, the camp's primary activity.
With each bumble and misinterpreted action, he becomes the recipient of ever increasing harassment and all manner of abuse from those around him, especially Reece, who wants him gone from "his" cabin. This builds up to a particularly violent final "meeting" in the basement of the camp's Haunted House between Leo and numerous other campers.
I had high expectations for this book, based on another book I read by the author entitled "The Other," an excellently written suspense/horror book that was made into a movie. But I should have set my expectations lower. Surprisingly, the novel contained numerous editing errors despite being published in 1989. It lacked the horror described on the books back cover, at least in my opinion. I would not consider this book a complete waste, but I would not recommend it, either. Unless you have time to kill.
Definitely not one of Thomas Tyron's best works. Seemed overly long and contained very little suspense or mystery.
The plot can basically boiled down to acts of continuously escalating bullying at camp Freind-Indeed heaped upon one camper, Leo, who constantly makes poor or misunderstood decisions. An orphan who witnessed his own mother's brutal murder at the hands of his stepfather and was so traumatized he spent time in a mental institution, then an orphanage.
Sent to a highly religious summer camp in 1938, his poor social skills constantly place him at odds with nearly everyone in his cabin, named "Jeremiah," and in particular the counselor of the cabin, Reece. It doesn't aid Leo that he would rather play his violin and collect spiders than play baseball, the camp's primary activity.
With each bumble and misinterpreted action, he becomes the recipient of ever increasing harassment and all manner of abuse from those around him, especially Reece, who wants him gone from "his" cabin. This builds up to a particularly violent final "meeting" in the basement of the camp's Haunted House between Leo and numerous other campers.
I had high expectations for this book, based on another book I read by the author entitled "The Other," an excellently written suspense/horror book that was made into a movie. But I should have set my expectations lower. Surprisingly, the novel contained numerous editing errors despite being published in 1989. It lacked the horror described on the books back cover, at least in my opinion. I would not consider this book a complete waste, but I would not recommend it, either. Unless you have time to kill.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2017
A cautionary, coming of age tale in the spirit of Lord of the Flies.
I enjoy Tryon's writing style and the book kept me effortlessly turning pages. At times his descriptions left me feeling as if I was at Camp Friend Indeed and he painted several of the characters wonderfully. I have never been to summer camp as a child, but Tryon managed to make me feel like a member of this one.
What I did not like about book is that the actions of the characters within always felt forced and it was as if my mind was wrestling with it's prior conceptions of characters as the story progressed. It reminded me of one of an old B movie from the 80s/90s where every character was vapid, stupid, impulsive, and unfortunately one-dimensional. Most of the time I found myself asking 'wtf would you do that?!' Frustrations aside, there are a few characters to like enough that you will find yourself invested in the story. Not much else can be said without giving away spoilers.
If you find this one for cheap and you like young adult literature in the vein of Lord of the Flies, give it a read.
I enjoy Tryon's writing style and the book kept me effortlessly turning pages. At times his descriptions left me feeling as if I was at Camp Friend Indeed and he painted several of the characters wonderfully. I have never been to summer camp as a child, but Tryon managed to make me feel like a member of this one.
What I did not like about book is that the actions of the characters within always felt forced and it was as if my mind was wrestling with it's prior conceptions of characters as the story progressed. It reminded me of one of an old B movie from the 80s/90s where every character was vapid, stupid, impulsive, and unfortunately one-dimensional. Most of the time I found myself asking 'wtf would you do that?!' Frustrations aside, there are a few characters to like enough that you will find yourself invested in the story. Not much else can be said without giving away spoilers.
If you find this one for cheap and you like young adult literature in the vein of Lord of the Flies, give it a read.
January 27, 2021
I loved "Harvest Home"and "The Other"so much when I was young, I thought I'd check out another of Tyron's books. "The Night of the Moonbow" is set at a New England summer camp for boys in the year 1938. A new camper, Leo, arrives and the reader knows he is shrouded in mystery. For one thing he's an orphan who remembers his parents, but not how they died. Given that step-daddy was a butcher, the reader may be inclined to think they died a rather bloody death. Leo himself is an odd fit for this all-American boys camp with his weird last name, odd clothing, disdain for sports, and the fact that he spent time in a mental institution before the orphanage. And he's a violin prodigy. but he's also smart, funny, and wants to fit in. He admires the other boys, but especially his counselor Reese, but the minute we find out that Reese's daddy is a member of the German Bund we know that trouble is looming. This is a reasonably interesting psychological thriller, not as boiler plate as many, and is a good light read (as long as you keep your exceptions in check).
July 15, 2024
review 56 in my year of reviewing everything i read even though i hate writing reviews 🎻
bit of a disappointing one unfortunately, having gone into this with very high hopes ( i believe i actually gasped out loud when i read the synopsis and rushed to Abe Books for the incredible vintage cover). I’ve loved both Tryon novels I’ve read before and both leant much more heavily horror and chills, so I assumed more of the same from this dramatic blurb.
this was more human horror, the way groups close off against an unwanted other, twist truths and whip up hatred. the way this played out was well done and the setting and characters very vivid, as I expect from this author. but I’d gone in expecting some real scares rather than a fairly predictable human evil of boys so kept finding myself a bit let down that it didn’t go up a notch. the curse of expectation!
still, a good read, well written and i suspect i might like it more on reflection in a few months
bit of a disappointing one unfortunately, having gone into this with very high hopes ( i believe i actually gasped out loud when i read the synopsis and rushed to Abe Books for the incredible vintage cover). I’ve loved both Tryon novels I’ve read before and both leant much more heavily horror and chills, so I assumed more of the same from this dramatic blurb.
this was more human horror, the way groups close off against an unwanted other, twist truths and whip up hatred. the way this played out was well done and the setting and characters very vivid, as I expect from this author. but I’d gone in expecting some real scares rather than a fairly predictable human evil of boys so kept finding myself a bit let down that it didn’t go up a notch. the curse of expectation!
still, a good read, well written and i suspect i might like it more on reflection in a few months
April 15, 2021
My mom gave me a copy of this around 1989 and it sat in my bookcase along with all of my other horror paperbacks but I never got around to reading until now (another one of my "unfinished business" goals). I have to say that I was a little disappointed in that I was hoping for more horror. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to fans of similarly marketed paperback horrors from the late 80's but Tryon is definitely a good writer and his literary skills are superior to most of his peers in that genre. I would recommend this to anyone with a fondness for coming of age stories about 14 year old boys and summer camps and 1930's New England Americana before the war. Just not enough horror for me but I plan to read Tryon's other two classics: The Other and Harvest Home to compare.
March 17, 2020
I picked this up because I loved The Other when I read it years ago. I think that Tryon was trying to do a kind of slow-burn Lord of the Flies or micro-example of nazi Germany (how people will fall in line behind a charismatic leader, even for evil). And while the writing was good enough to make me care about the characters and carry me through, it really fell flat. I don't know if the blame is on the marketing people who promised HORROR (which only really happens in the last 15 pages) that the book never intended to deliver. But my review is: eh.
April 26, 2020
Wow, did this ever bring on the bad camp flashbacks! Fortunately my childhood didn’t include anything quite this terrible, but it was more than a little easy to empathize with Tryon’s protagonist through most of the story. The jacket blurbs suggest this is a classic horror novel, which it isn’t. I suppose any tale of cruelty in the society of boys invites comparison to Golding. And Tryon’s pace is a little odd, lingering over minor development details and then tearing through key events. That notwithstanding, this is a fairly entertaining read.
May 28, 2019
I read this book many years ago. It certainly wasn't the story I expected it to be, but it gripped me very early on and carried me through to the inevitable ending.
One thing about this book: I personally found it to be a predictable plot, but that didn't remove any of my enjoyment from reading it. Tryon's writing style was more than up to the task of injecting tension into a story with only one possible outcome.
One thing about this book: I personally found it to be a predictable plot, but that didn't remove any of my enjoyment from reading it. Tryon's writing style was more than up to the task of injecting tension into a story with only one possible outcome.
August 5, 2019
I've enjoyed Tom Tryon's books over years, from his excellent horror tales The Other & Harvest Home to his mystery-drama, Lady. But this thing, which takes place at a boys summer camp in the late 1930's, just never gels. It has an unwieldy, repetitive pace, and its beleaguered young hero is strangely rather irritating and unsympathetic. Also, Tryon's attempt to make some grander statement about the Evil that Boys Do and mob rule/Nazism feels klutzy. A disappointment.
September 15, 2019
I laughed out loud several times during this novel as the author perfectly captured the life of 120 boys at a summer camp in Connecticut. Of course, the story had moments of sadness and suspense, too, as a boy who never fit in on more than the margins of the group was pushed out and then scapegoated. The book has echoes of "Lord of the Flies" in it, but without the overtones of English boarding-school stuffiness.
March 25, 2020
b/c tryon wrote a couple of great horror books ("the other" & "harvest home"), readers might come to this one looking for horror here as well. i wouldn't classify it as horror, more like a runaway train in that you can see the tragedy barreling down toward you but you can neither stop it nor look away. i liked the characters & the author's use of the hatred & prejudice that will horrify us all during WWII is nicely done.
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May 20, 2021I HATED this book! I have it listed as probably the WORST book I've ever read! Why? Because the "hero" was a stupid, busybody little twerp who was always doing incredibly stupid things, things that any sane person with an IQ higher than that of an eggplant would know to avoid doing. I truly tried to identify with and sympathize with him--after all, who likes Nazis? But he was so disgustingly stupid that finally I gave up and tossed the book.
January 1, 2022
The Night of the Moonbow is akin to Lord of the Flies. Only this one takes place at the more civilized savagery of a boys' summer camp. The plot takes the reader back and forth between a summertime romp and Camp Crystal Lake. Only at this camp the monster "Jason" is far too real. Boys will be boys. Snipe and snails and puppy dog tails, and all that. Snipe was a typo, but a quite fitting one. Lol! I'm not sure if this tale was cathartic, or cause for therapy.
June 17, 2024
If I could give it more stars, I would! When I initially picked up this novel, my thoughts were about reading a scary story set in a summer camp. A fun summer read. This novel ended up being so much more. It's beautifully written, patient, and the characters so authentic. I loved Leo, Tiger, and Dagmar. These characters were so alive! The story only horrifying in its sadness.
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