"Till We Have Faces"

"Exerts, far beyond most novels,
that combination of ... wonder and
attraction." — The New York Times

C.S. Lewis's "Till We Have Faces" is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, but while the original Roman myth depicts Psyche's fall, trials, and ultimate ascendance into godhood, C.S. Lewis's version describes her sister Orual's redemption from disbelief.

It's been my experience that all of C.S. Lewis's works have something to say about Christianity, and "Till We Have Faces" is no exception. From what I remember from Lewis's "The Four Loves," Orual's love for her sister can be described as storge gone wrong. Storge is familial love, but Orual desires to possess Psyche and keep her apart from the world and the gods who have claimed Psyche for themselves, at the expense of Psyche's well-being. Orual's is a jealous, devouring passion that destroys the beloved.

In Lewis's telling, Orual's sin is disbelief in the unseen, and her redemption occurs in her old age when she finally recognizes her insincerity and surrenders to the gods' will. She, not the gods, was responsible for her suffering, and once she realizes this she sees how the gods turned her sins into her sister's salvation, and at last finds peace.

I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer. Till the word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?

My highly subjective rating: readers interested in mythology, religion, family, or the human condition will be rewarded by this beautifully-written book. Recommended.