I began reading this one months ago to help a dear friend (Amelie) taking a C.S. Lewis class, but I took a break and read it for pleasure instead.
I didn’t even know this book existed before!
I’m not unfamiliar with C.S. Lewis: I grew up reading Narnia (my partner & I love The Magician’s Nephew) and even read The Weight of Glory in 2020 to understand his religious perspective better. It’s a mystery how Till We Have Faces and managed to escape my gaze for so long.
This retelling of Psyche’s myth helped me rediscover C.S. Lewis with childlike wonder. I’m so incredibly grateful to have been made aware of its existence.
TITLE:
Till We Have Faces
AUTHOR:
C.S. Lewis
Released:
1956
Format:
Kindle
Pages:
206
Genres:
Retelling, Legend & Myth, Fantasy, Christian
SYNOPSIS
In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses- one beautiful and one unattractive- C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche’s embittered and ugly older sister, who possessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual’s frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the troubled Orual on a path of moral development.
Set against the backdrop of Glome, a barbaric, pre-Christian world, the struggles between sacred and profane love are illuminated as Orual learns that we cannot understand the intent of the gods “till we have faces” and sincerity in our souls and selves.
Highlight: I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods. I have no husband nor child, nor hardly a friend, through whom they can hurt me. […] Being, for all these reasons, free from fear, I will write in this book what no one who has happiness would dare to write. I will accuse the gods, especially the god who lives on the Grey Mountain. […]
DATE STARTED:
14 july 2022
DATE FINISHED:
3 jan 2023
OVERALL RATING:
★★★★★
Writing Quality:
5
Insightfulness:
5
Enjoyability:
5
Cover:
3
Characters:
5
Pace:
5
Plot:
5
REVIEW
This was my favourite C.S. Lewis book I’ve ever read. It spoke to me directly.
I don’t have the words to describe Orual. I often complain about the lack of unattractive protagonists in fantasy, so she felt like an answer. She was smart, strong, morally grey… I loved when she began wearing the veil. I loved when she picked up her sword. I wanted to have her. I wanted her to love me with the same fierceness she loves Psyche.
I had some apprehensions towards the ending, but they were all proven false. The faithful and the faithless women are punished and loved equally by the gods.
Ungit (Aphrodite) was terrifying. I wanted her to love/devour me. Maybe it’s truly one and the same.
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