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Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 20,864 ratings · 1,899 reviews

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 posessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love...more

Paperback, 313 pages

Published 1984 by A Harvest Book (first published 1956)

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Mar 10, 2008 Chloe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Chloe by: a booklist

Shelves: modern, philosophy, theology, favorites

Ironically, though Lewis considered this to be his best work, it is not very well known. Even among those who label themselves as Lewis fans, the work is not often read. Few people even know that it exists. Among the few, I would guess that there are a significant number feigning ignorance so as not to delve into the pages. Perhaps it is because the book is so often seen as a philosophical/theological work, something scholarly and dense and difficult to read. The somewhat colorless covers that t...more Ironically, though Lewis considered this to be his best work, it is not very well known. Even among those who label themselves as Lewis fans, the work is not often read. Few people even know that it exists. Among the few, I would guess that there are a significant number feigning ignorance so as not to delve into the pages. Perhaps it is because the book is so often seen as a philosophical/theological work, something scholarly and dense and difficult to read. The somewhat colorless covers that the tale is often subjected to do not help matters. However, the majority of those who actually give this book a chance are more than pleased by the outcome.

First of all, let me remind readers that Lewis wanted his stories to be, first and foremost, stories. Whatever you may think of his personal beliefs should not affect the reading of the tale, as it was written to BE a tale. Lewis did not set about to write a story based off of a principle. Rather, he set out to write a story, and the principles of the author cannot be separated from the work as the work is a part of the author’s mind. That is why ideas are dubbed “brain children”.

Lewis’s story itself is a masterpiece of imagination, scholarly knowledge, plot and great insight into the human character. It is the tale of Psyche and Cupid. However, rather than star the beautiful heroine of the myth, the main character is Psyche’s older sister, Orual, a strong woman cursed with a hideous face. The story covers her love of Psyche, as well as her overall desire for love and her anger with the gods. This tale is set in a world of myth so well realized that it never once feels artificial. Many myth-inspired works feel unreal, as if the myth was painted on and the author only knew a little of his own world. Such is not the case in Till We Have Faces. It is believable from start to finish. This is strengthened by the tangibility of the characters themselves. No one is painted black or white. All are real human beings with feelings, hopes and reasons for their actions.

Some criticism has been placed on this book concerning its depth. True, this is not light reading. This is not Eragon, after all. The story does have philosophical elements, as well as theological ones. The tale is one of contrasts –between classical and cultic paganism; between beauty and ugliness; between trust and jealousy. Also, the emotional current of the story is certainly passionate and the tone is dark. However, I do not see why any of these traits should prevent a reading. I read this book for the first time when I was twelve. The language may not be incredibly easy, but neither is it too dense nor too difficult to understand.
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Jan 01, 2012 Admonit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone!

Shelves: inklings

List of beauties:

- The epigraph: “Love is too young to know what conscience is.” The first line of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 151; Lewis makes the quotation speak of Orual’s sub-moral love, Psyche’s super-moral love, and the god’s supra-mortal love.
- Dedication: “To Joy Davidman.” TWHF was published in 1956, when Lewis was married to Joy. He says somewhere that she was so involved in his mental processes during the creation of this book “as to be almost a co-author.”
- The first sentence: “I am old no...more List of beauties:

- The epigraph: “Love is too young to know what conscience is.” The first line of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 151; Lewis makes the quotation speak of Orual’s sub-moral love, Psyche’s super-moral love, and the god’s supra-mortal love.
- Dedication: “To Joy Davidman.” TWHF was published in 1956, when Lewis was married to Joy. He says somewhere that she was so involved in his mental processes during the creation of this book “as to be almost a co-author.”
- The first sentence: “I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods.” It sets the tone for the entire first section of the novel; it paints a vague historical and geographical context by the mere word “gods”; it encapsulates the character’s past and present, age and attitude, faith and heresy.
- The psychological honesty about the human sense of injustice by the gods. Who has not been tempted to say to God, “It’s not fair”?
- The fairy-tale feeling (The Stepmother, a nurse, a tutor, a dark god in a darker house, an agricultural society) infused with emotional realism, peopled by complex, timeless, modern characters.
- The Fox. Wise, stoic, affectionate, stolid, tender, clever, witty, loveable, loving, a seeker of knowledge, a story-teller, a muddled mixture of the practical and the fantastical.
- The intuitive, experiential understanding of the truth that The Law Kills. The smell of “the horror of holiness” hanging around the Priest of Ungit, human sacrifice, temple prostitution, ritual superstition, the essence of a pre-Christian religion.
- Psyche herself. True beauty. As a newborn, “she made bright all the corner of the room in which she lay. Always laughing, making all others laugh, merry, truthful, obedient, virtuous, spirited, compassionate, selfless. In her was the Form of the Beautiful, “what every woman… ought to have been and meant to be.” The Fox calls her Helen (one of Lewis’s great symbols, and Joy Davidman’s other name).
- The subtlety of the horrors that shattered Orual’s youthful happiness. No obvious catastrophes; then, finally, the worst blow paganism can give: sacrifice the most pure, the most beautiful, to The Brute.
- The unanswerable nature of pre-Christian language, that apes our own diction so closely, yet with such twistings. In holy language, loving and devouring are the same; the Bride is the Brute’s Supper; in a mystery, Ungit and her son are one. Parodies of the Trinity, of the Eucharist, of a believer’s death and resurrection in baptism.
- The psychological perfection of the scene in Psyche’s prison-room on the night before the sacrifice. Orual accuses Psyche of a heart of iron—because it is strong and unbendable in torment. Orual has lost her, and grudges her this joy.
- This Joy. “When I was happiest I longed most,” says Istra, for death. For whatever was beyond the Grey Mountain. It was so intense “it almost hurt me.” “The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing—to reach the Mountain—“ or the island, or the blue flower, or the Great Beyond. “The longing for home.”
- Then, the perfection of the moment when each realizes the other’s ignorance of an entire world. When Psyche realizes Orual cannot see her palace; when Orual realizes Psyche sees it right there in the fields and forest. And then the rain, the terrible rain that falls on Psyche and she feels it not, and Orual tries to cover and comfort her and cannot. They are divided by the gods.
- The gods. The West-Wind, a young, rough god. The god who comes to Psyche in the night, who looks upon Orual with “passionless and measureless rejection.”

And the ending is the most Sublime piece of writing I have encountered: “I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?” That is a perfect summary of Christian theology; all you need to know to be saved, yet couched in mythology. (less)

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Oct 17, 2011 K.D. Oliveros rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to K.D. by: Tina Matanguihan

Shelves: mythology, retelling

Psychologists have long known that every person has two great longings and inward needs. The first is to be loved, and the second is to love. But when pressures and heartaches come into our lives, many give up any hope of ever finding love.

For me, the above statements summarize the message that C. S. Lewis wanted to impart in his most mature and his-favorite-among-all-of-his-works novel, Till We Have Faces. Ugly Orual loves her beautiful youngest sister Psyche that she acts as her mother and a p...more Psychologists have long known that every person has two great longings and inward needs. The first is to be loved, and the second is to love. But when pressures and heartaches come into our lives, many give up any hope of ever finding love.

For me, the above statements summarize the message that C. S. Lewis wanted to impart in his most mature and his-favorite-among-all-of-his-works novel, Till We Have Faces. Ugly Orual loves her beautiful youngest sister Psyche that she acts as her mother and a protector. Famine comes into their kingdom and the priest says that to appease the goddess Ungit (Aphrodite), Psyche should be sacrificed to the goddess’ son Brute (Cupid). However, the son falls in love with Psyche. Orual goes to the mountain to bury Psyche’s bone but she finds that Psyche is alive and Psyche shows Orual her invisible (to Orual’s eyes) house. Orual believes that Psyche has married a serpent so she asks Psyche to see the face of the Brute while he is sleeping. This despises the Brute so he sends Psyche to exile. Missing her sister, Orual transforms into a warrior and becomes more of a man than a woman and she eventually becomes the Queen of Glome, their kingdom.

This is a story of contrasts: beauty and ugly, loyalty and deception, loving and hating. This is a story of transformation, realization and redemption. On the surface, this is a story of jealousy among two siblings. However, when the ugly Orual is about to expire in the end, she realizes that the true reason behind her deception and that she indeed still loves her sister – the beautiful Psyche. Orual did not feel that she was loved by her father because of her ugliness but she was able to love Psyche from the time she was born. Orual acted as Psyche's protector because she loved her sister until Psyche was sent to the mountain to appease Aphrodite’s wrath. Orual transformed to become a warrior and eventually a queen whose face was covered to hide her true feelings. She gave up on love. Some say that, unlike the other more popular works of C. S. Lewis, this book does not have any Christian theme but for me, the veil covering Orual’s face signifies sin: jealousy, pride and deception. The Bible says that until we first recognize ourselves as sinners, we will not be able to accept Jesus as our personal savior. The realization that Orual experienced in the end was not too late for her to know that she did what she did because of her love for Psyche. Before she died, she got love back.

My friend is right. The better part of this book is at the last few pages. The dream-like sequence of Orual being with the dead is like standing before God at the day of one’s death. It is full of philosophical thoughts and beautiful Christian metaphors that have been the trademarks of C. S. Lewis's works. I had earlier read 4 of his other books (first three books of Narnia and A Grief Observed) and for me this is the best. I am not a big fan of fantasy books and for most of the middle parts, this book bored me. However, when I came to the last part, my mind was just blown away and it left me teary-eyed this morning.

One of the best books I have read this year. It gave me a strong feeling that this might really be the best work of C. S. Lewis.

Tina - thanks for recommending this book to me. Your taste on books is really impeccable!
Atty. Monique - thanks for lending me this book. You who have the most generous heart!
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Mar 06, 2008 AnnaMarie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2007 I just read this book for the second time, and I loved it more this time than the first. I also got a lot more out of it the second time around. It is such a beautiful story. From this we see how being ugly within sucks life from those around us, that faith is difficult but worthwhile, that our lives are defined by our connection with others, and that sacrifice is purifying and beautifying. And I believe Orual's last line would have been, "I might - have loved him."

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Aug 26, 2007 Jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-literature

One of the lesser known of Lewis' fiction works, this is a masterful retelling of the mythological story of Cupid and Psyche that paints a vivid picture of how selfish humanly love is, and to what extent we will go to protect it. The narrative serves to humble the reader as the heroine of the novel transforms from the pitiable victim to the chief antagonist, and at the same time we realize that we are her, always pondering on the wrongs done to us and the shortcomings we experience. It's an exce...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spirituality-philosophy-religion

Breath-taking! Poetic, beautiful, heart-full. Exquisite insights for all of us who wish to love in the best way we can.

(And I liked the style ever-so-much better than "Narnia." Glad I can now appreciate Lewis more!)

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Jan 19, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, absolute-favorites

This is an interesting book of Lewis' because, frankly, it doesn't sound like Lewis at all. It is mystical, dark, depressing, and enigmatic...a far cry from the innocent charm of "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe." Perhaps it's a matter of personal preference, but I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I enjoyed some of the more tedious Chronicles of Narnia books (coughHorseandHisBoycough). This is because rather than craft a story that's simply enjoyable to read, Lewis packs spiritual mea...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Carl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in fantasy, myth, or fictional explorations of humanity's relationship to God

Shelves: literaryandhardtoclassify

It's been years since I've read this, so I can't say much, but it is one of my favorites. A novel length treatment of the Cupid and Psyche myth, and to my mind reminiscent of Ursula LeGuin's Tombs of Atuan, though Lewis' novel predates hers (I don't actually know why it reminds me-- the religious setting, I guess, though this book isn't so much about escape from evil powers as about recognizing the evil in oneself). Continues Lewis' apologetics in fictional form, which I think I prefer (as long...more It's been years since I've read this, so I can't say much, but it is one of my favorites. A novel length treatment of the Cupid and Psyche myth, and to my mind reminiscent of Ursula LeGuin's Tombs of Atuan, though Lewis' novel predates hers (I don't actually know why it reminds me-- the religious setting, I guess, though this book isn't so much about escape from evil powers as about recognizing the evil in oneself). Continues Lewis' apologetics in fictional form, which I think I prefer (as long as he doesn't get too preachy or cocky). I need to reread this soon!
*****

Recently reread this and enjoyed it again-- maybe not as much as the first time, but still good. I'd forgotten how central the issue of true love and possesive, self centered love is-- a lesson I suppose it is good to revisit. I like that the "apologetics" of this book avoids rationalist attempts to "prove" God and Christianity with logic. Not that one shouldn't apply logic to their faith, but any argument that you pull together is going to have its holes and will be more about bolstering your faith and making yourself feel good than about diving into the journey which your faith takes you on. Again, I'm not advocating brainless Christianity-- just pointing out that proving the unseen (or disproving it) is going to tie you up in all sorts of deconstructable knots. This book is about the person at the heart of the conflict of faith, and about the love at the heart of the Christian faith. Lewis' understanding of that love, of course, but I think he makes a good "case". Ultimately a story about what it is to be human, set within the problem of what it is to be in relationship to diety-- though the latter theme would probably just frusterate or anger anyone not already sympathetic to Lewis' veiwpoint, I think-- I have trouble seeing any of my atheist friends (or agnostic friends who tend more towards the atheistic side of things) enjoying this the way I did. Not that you have to hold completely to Lewis' understanding of things to enjoy it, but I do recommend approaching it with a sympathetic "ear" (for both sides of Orual's story) if you want to get anything out of it. (less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Charissa Sophia de la Rosa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Christians, Cupid and Psyche lovers, C.S. Lewis's fans

Shelves: books-by-my-favorite-authors, favorites, books-i-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry-sob, books-that-might-change-your-life, drama, fantasy, inspiring-books, mythology-related-books, happy-endings, greek-mythology, books-with-a-great-ending, family

Sometimes in our life, we can’t stop to ponder “Why did this happen to me?” or “Why God doesn’t answer my prayers?” or perhaps “God doesn’t love me for He let such a terrible thing to happen.”

Sometimes, we can’t help but to question God, wonder if He truly does exist and if He does, why did He turn His back from us? We think we have rotten luck for such things to happen and will already come to the conclusion that God wasn’t there.

We’re wrong.

Plot Summary:

Orual was one of the two daughters...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Sally Linford rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Truth seekers

Recommended to Sally by: Emily Funk

One of the finest pieces I have ever read.

Emily sent me this funny note:
"Your silence is deafening. You didn't like the book? Were you afraid you would hurt my feelings. You might not have enjoyed it as much as I did because you are like Psyche and I like the other one...can't remember her name."

10/08/2008 01:16AM My reply to Emily:

Haha! NOT!

I haven't commented yet, because I haven't had time to do justice to this masterpiece. I have to say, when it ended, I stared at the wall for a while say...more

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Emily Your silence is deafening. You didn't like the book? Were you afraid you would hurt my feelings. You might not have enjoyed it as much as I did becaus...more
Sep 24, 2008 11:30am

Sally Linford haha! NOT! I haven't commented yet, because I haven't had time to do justice to this masterpiece. I have to say, it ended, and I stared at the wall fo...more
Oct 08, 2008 01:16am

Nov 09, 2011 Cami rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Rachel, those who love Greek myth and/or a well-spun tale or strong women characters.

Shelves: general-fiction, favorites, classics

I am updating this to remind all my friends on GoodReads who have this amazing book languishing on their to-read shelves that it's time to pick this up and read it!

I love what this book teaches about love and governing those we love. I love the hard lessons the main character, Orual, has to learn and how it all comes back to love. This is a beautiful book. It is a moving book.
At the core, it is a retelling of the Greek myth, Eros and Psyche (a similar tale to Beauty and the Beast). Psyche is swe...more

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Nov 11, 2007 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Strangely wonderful. Totally absorbing. Quite possibly my favorite C.S. Lewis novel ever.

Some quotes that made me pause:

"The gods never send us this invitation to delight so readily or so strongly as when they are preparing some new agony. We are their bubbles; they blow us big before they prick us." pg.97

"Don't you think a dream would feel shy if it were seen walking about in the waking world?" pg. 114

"Yet it surprised me that he should have said it; for I did not yet know that if you are ugly...more

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May 13, 2007 Evie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Psychotherapists and anyone interested in psychotherapy

Shelves: psychology

On a flight back to Buenos Aires from Bariloche, the person next to me, an Argentine priest who spent time in the States, recommended this book to me to read for my dissertation on the soul/psyche. I didn't read it right away, but it ended up helping me write a big chunk of my dissertation. Don't you love when that happens? I sure wish I got his name and e-mail to thank him.

This is C.S. Lewis' retelling of the Eros and Psyche myth. It gives it a different spin, a little more modern perspective...more

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May 09, 2008 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

One of my favorite books of all times. It changed me.

I don't know exactly what to say about it that would be informative. It is Mr. Lewis' spin on the tale of Psyche and Cupid. However, it is so much more. It touches topics like paganism, jealousy, love, bias, etc.

But, more than anything, the part of this book that sticks with me continually is Orual's plea to the gods. The deep philosophical points of this scene (and the storyline of her journey to this point) are so profound.

This work, like C...more

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Feb 23, 2008 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A must-read for any Lewis fan. He began the book as an unbeliever (a case against God) and finished it some 30 years later fully converted. Almost autobiographical, you get a real sense of his own spiritual awakening. It is claimed to be his personal favorite. The name comes from the scripture: "Now we see through a glass, darkly: but then face to face..shall I know even as also I am known."

Better than anything I've read, it describes the process of developing faith and finding and becoming li...more

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May 30, 2010 Mary Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a rather ambivalent relationship with author C.S. Lewis prior to reading this book. On the one hand, I loved the breadth and energy of his imagination, respected his scholarship and appreciated the way he was able to entertain children – he did have the knack for writing a page-turner. On the other I balked at the far-too-blatant theological overtones in his stories, the rampant racism and abhorrence of women – to wit, the attitudes of a 1950’s Oxbridge scholar firmly entrenched in his era...more I had a rather ambivalent relationship with author C.S. Lewis prior to reading this book. On the one hand, I loved the breadth and energy of his imagination, respected his scholarship and appreciated the way he was able to entertain children – he did have the knack for writing a page-turner. On the other I balked at the far-too-blatant theological overtones in his stories, the rampant racism and abhorrence of women – to wit, the attitudes of a 1950’s Oxbridge scholar firmly entrenched in his era. It was frustrating to me all the more because I loved him, or almost loved him. I could not deny he had a splendid, soaring mind. He just tended to load down his own wings with the most abominably heavy clutter. It made him a fine writer of Christian apologetics, apparently (I have not read that aspect of his work,) but unfortunately also turned him into a flawed storyteller. Storytellers should not try to be preachers of any stripe: it kills the tale. But that is another subject for discussion, which I won’t go into here. Suffice to say that I generally came away disappointed from Lewis’ fiction.

I had read the Narnia series, of course, as well as some of his adult science fiction titles (‘That Hideous Strength’) before picking up ‘Till We Have Faces.’ I approached the book with reservations, expecting to encounter the problems mentioned above. Almost immediately however I realised this book was in a different league. Yes, there are times when the man Lewis transparently pontificates through the lips of his female protagonist. Yes, the attitudes towards women are still a little skewed, still a little ‘off.’ But something else shines through. Here Lewis has successfully tapped into the universality of myth; he has gone a step further and discarded (some of) his dogmas in favour of a more mystical line of storytelling. I was immediately caught up and carried away by this fable retold, ostensibly a historical narrative in the confessional mode, with unabashedly spiritual overtones.

The book revisits the Cupid and Psyche myth from the point of view of one of Psyche’s sisters, Maia or Orual, who feels the gods have treated her unfairly and wishes to set the record straight. She gives us the story from her point of view, starting with her childhood and the birth of baby Psyche, all the way through to the well-known tale of how her beloved sister became the bride of a mysterious man who refused to show his face. Lewis does a wonderful job of bringing the ancient kingdom of Glome to life, with all its political intrigues, religious rites and rituals, layerings of history, myth and magic. He has also in Orual created a truly appealing character – his only female character I have ever fully identified with. One can’t help but sympathize with her complaint against the gods. I will not spoil the central point of the grievance – how exactly Orual feels she was cheated – suffice to say that she is magnificent, and flawed, and all things a good hero should be.

I am thrilled to find C.S. Lewis in this instance to be every bit the storyteller I hoped for!(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Hannah Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“You don’t think – not possibly – not as a mere hundredth chance – there might be things that are real though we can’t see them?" - Oural

Just a Few Reasons Why this Book is so Great:

1. First - something that stood out to me right away. It goes along with the fact that C.S. Lewis followed these rules of his: (I'm just giving a link, can't figure out how to do the images thing!) http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m21...
Even though they're simple, I think that the following of these rules is one of...more

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May 28, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, myth, mine, drama, book-club, british-lit

I have just re-read this for the fourth (fifth? I’ve lost count) time.
I have long considered it my favorite book in the whole world. It’s been a few years since I last opened it, however. Upon beginning it yet again, I admitted to myself that I couldn’t quite remember why I loved it so much. I was half prepared to find that I have outgrown it, or have read enough impressive works of literature since the last visit to Glome that the writing no longer speaks to me as much as it once did. After al...more I have just re-read this for the fourth (fifth? I’ve lost count) time.
I have long considered it my favorite book in the whole world. It’s been a few years since I last opened it, however. Upon beginning it yet again, I admitted to myself that I couldn’t quite remember why I loved it so much. I was half prepared to find that I have outgrown it, or have read enough impressive works of literature since the last visit to Glome that the writing no longer speaks to me as much as it once did. After all, what are the chances that my favorite book as an adolescent would maintain its relevance to me now in my late twenties? The girl back then was angsty and “misunderstood,” and found no small comfort in Orual’s brokenness and frustration. Now, happy with my life, would I read about Orual’s struggles and discover I have moved on from that place? Would her voice sound whiny to me? Would I become impatient with her flaws? I avoided opening the cover. I was afraid I wouldn’t love it anymore.

As usual, I worried unnecessarily.

Orual, to begin with, is a fully three-dimensional character. From the first page, her insecurities and self-depreciation ring true- as does her indignation toward the gods for their mistreatment of her. Her relationships with those around her are believable and believably flawed. Her love toward others is fraught with selfishness. Her dry wit fits her personality. She is so real that I almost expect her to step out of the book fully formed.
Psyche, sadly, is the weak spot in the story. Much of the plot hinges on her actions, and yet she may as well be a mannequin for all the life she brings to it. Her motives are always right. Her love is always perfect. Her outward beauty and inward purity make her almost impossible to relate to (not unlike Melville’s eponymous character in Billy Budd and Other Stories, who I detest.) Also, like Billy, she serves as a sort of Christ-figure, blameless, self-sacrificing. The trouble with literary Christ-figures is that no one seems to be able to portray perfection without draining it of its liveliness. Psyche is described as unspeakably beautiful, kind, altruistic- a person who inspires worship. And yet, there is some vital cog missing from her makeup. It is a struggle to like her. However, Orual’s devotion toward her half-sister prevents me from dismissing her altogether.
(The other secondary characters- Bardia, the Fox- are again credibly human, with many endearing qualities as well as glaring blind spots.)

I am not even going to get into the symbolism. Above and beyond the mythological tapestry, there is an unmistakable stamp of the biblical. It would take more time and thought to do justice than I am willing to give here. Suffice it to say, every time I read it, I discover new meaning within the narrative. C.S. Lewis is well-known for his allegorical treatment of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Faces receives the same strokes, but with a finer brush. To those who don't subscribe to the whole Jesus "thing," it may come off differently, but I found it to be breathtakingly honest, complex, and elegant.

As for Lewis himself, I don’t think I will ever outgrow my adoration for his writing. I just love him. The same vivid, unsentimental style that, as a child, made me want to step through a door into Narnia, is present again in the land of Glome. He has a way with descriptions. He can create a beautiful landscape without the use of cloying adjectives. He can depict tragedy in a straightforward, understated way- void of melodrama, all the more powerful. He writes of deep emotion without resorting to cheap verbal trickery. He can convey, in a few short words of dialogue, entire paragraphs of subtext.
Lewis himself considered this novel to be his best work, and was surprised that it received so much less attention than his other books. I have to agree. It is, by far, the most gorgeous thing he ever wrote.
It is definitely still my favorite.
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Sep 17, 2008 Galen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are few modern novels that have made me look at the face in the mirror as deeply as has Lewis's Till We Have Faces. As Orual tells her story the book plumbs the uttermost depths of her character and motivation, revealing that she herself is responsible for much of her own hurt. The story's remarkable final chapters bring her an unexpected and spiritually transforming redemption.

A number of times, when I myself have felt bitterness and hurt, I've found that reading or even recalling this st...more

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Aug 04, 2008 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A common theme of C. S. Lewis's thoughts on Christianity is that people are evil by conscious choice and yet are often ignorant of their own evil. Hence his discounting of the doctrine of TOTAL depravity: it's a question of choice and not, completely, one of inexorable pre-determination. This theme is especially prevalent in his non-expository writing, that is, his fiction and "allegorical" works. (Lewis had a very precise definition of "allegory," and he claimed that only one of his works, "Pil...more

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Aug 03, 2008 Rian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-reading

Much better than I was expecting, which is saying something, since I generally enjoy C.S. Lewis' work. I hadn't read much of him outside of the Narnia stories, and going into this, I was more than a little nervous about being beaten over the head with overt Christian themes and ideas. Religion does play a huge part in Till We Have Faces, but it's not Christianity. Certain tenants are similar, but Orual and her cast worship a pagan deity; there is a general message of "trust God to make things ri...more

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Jul 14, 2008 junia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to junia by: DChoe

Shelves: wishlist, yummy, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The more I read CS Lewis the more I am convinced at his literary genius. Adventure/fantasy/fiction is *not* easy to write.

In this story, I felt a little "tricked" about who were the real "wise" ones and who were deranged... and yet, that's how it is in this world.

I know there is more to this novel than what I gleaned from it, but for this summer, I enjoyed it purely for its entertainment factor.

Now for my favorite passages/quotes!

"Do you remember? The colour and the smell, and looking across at...more

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Apr 20, 2008 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Christians or skeptics, especially those who think the world should be totally knowable.

We want God to be just. By “just” we mean that we desire that God rule in our favor. But we don’t think enough what might result should God heed the council of our minds and hearts. Would we have God make us what we wish to be, or make us what God knows we are meant to be? And what of others? How would even our loved ones fair if God treated them as we thought God should? So many want their redress from God and yet curse God for the outcome.

Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis is about accusing God...more

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Apr 18, 2008 Rebecca rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-with-help

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 17, 2007 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I picked up this book because Ben and I are working on a project about Cupid and Psyche for [http://www.whistlerinthedark.com] Whistler in the Dark's upcoming project FeverFest 07, and I wanted to read some alternate versions of the myth before we started.

Lewis has written this novel from the perspective of Orual, Psyche's older, uglier and possessively jealous sister. While the story line is familiar - Lewis re-imagines what led to each of the major plot-points in the myth, but does not stray f...more

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Nov 15, 2008 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some have focused on the meaning of selfless love contained in the book, and I think, missed the central theme, which is about understanding God in the midst of the apparently random tragedies of life. Lewis gives the same answer that the book of Job gives... the question is not, "Why doesn't God answer my complaint?", but "If God spoke in answer to my complaint, how could I ever hope to understand?" For Oruel, as for Job, the presence and person of God were more than sufficient answer to the qu...more

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Feb 13, 2008 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Yeah, I just didn't really get it.
No, I got the story. I mean, why did Lewis need to retell it? When I read the original in a Greek mythology book, I was confused as to why Lewis had bothered to turn it into a novel. He didn't add anything worth adding, and I didn't get any additional meaning out of the story from his version. So, when I say I didn't get it, what I mean is that Lewis is a smart guy, with an obvious Christian agenda. You couldn't miss the religious message of the Chronicles of N...more

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Aug 21, 2008 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of Lewis' least known and underappreciated works, though for understandable reasons. It is a book that requires multiple readings for its genius to sink in, though upon the first time through it is clear that there is much that lies below the surface. The "mythopoeic art" he found so fascinating in MacDonald has found its way into his own writing, in a way that is quite different from his other fiction (though I would be hard pressed to say just what that difference is).

Read it three...more

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Dec 29, 2010 RE de Leon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lewisiana, cs-lewis, mythology, scifi-fantasy, mythopoeia, novels, favorites

Said to have been noted by CS Lewis himself as his favorite authored book, this piece was written rather late in his life and benefitted from the input of his wife Joy. (They didn't meet and get married until very late in life.)

I tend to believe this is Lewis' best work of fiction. And second only to The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe on the list of must-read Lewis fiction.

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Aug 27, 2007 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alltimefavorites, post-college

This book was amazing. A couple things I particularly liked:

The change that Orual goes through. Some of the realizations she makes near the end are just so soul-shattering, and yet nearly everyone has to come to these sorts of realizations in order to become whole. Powerful stuff.

The glimpses of truth in a pagan, pre-Christian world. Fits in great with the "one true myth" point of view of Christianity.

That Lewis started working on it before his conversation. You can really see how he changed his...more

2 likes · like · see review

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About C.S. Lewis

CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more th...more

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Books by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)

The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia #1-7)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)

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Quotes from Till We Have Faces

“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from — my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it now feels not like going, but like going back.” — 370 people liked it

“I was with book, as a woman is with child.” — 265 people liked it

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