Review:

Strangely Warmed

Andrew Rumsey’s book of reflections sets the bar very high. He notes that the genre of Christian satire has somewhat struggled and comments on the herculean figure of GK Chesterton. But Rumsey is no Chesterton and this book is unlikely to redefine the ailing genre. Strangely Warmed is a series of meditations that mix humour and quirky observation and relates these to Christian insights. And so we get pieces on atrocious power ballads, bric-a-brac, the weather, Christian self-defence courses and funny names.

Occasionally Rumsey does strike a chord – when the mannered prose unearths a moment of genuine insight or comedy. In the very first chapter he ruminates on what it really means to surrender all to Christ and how only those who truly love the world can feel the pain of leaving it behind. I have a feeling that Rumsey has a great book in him. But he needs to find more depth and still keep the lightness... just as Chesterton did a century ago.

HIGH: The occasional striking insight.

LOW: The humour runs rather thin.

Published by: Continuum