Till We Have Faces

May I please recommend this book of fiction (once more) to you guys who share my love for mythology.

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis is a true classic. This is by far, in my opinion, Lewis’ best work of fiction and one of my top favorite novels [alongside his The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’ (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5), which is my favorite in the series].

I am simply head over heels in love with this work of fiction, which is a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche love story. For one, when I began reading it I was already intimately familiar with the story so I was immensely impressed with Lewis’ profound reinterpretation of this beloved myth, which has some spiritual undertones in it. It  is narrated by Orual, Psyche’s sister, whose human point of view of the events leading to her sister’s promotion as goddess is remarkably similar to the voices of today’s unbelief. The story is very compelling and speaks with subtle theology. So subtle it is that people who say it is purely a work of fiction is not at all wrong in saying that. However, as much as it may be a mere retelling of a Greek classic, I am astounded by Lewis’ keen interest in this story enough to reinvent it, and I may have an idea why . This book is a story about the beautiful union between divinity and humanity and Lewis had interwoven his own thoughts and style into this classic Greek tale.

How can we indeed see face to face ’till we have faces ourselves?

Brilliant job, C.S. Lewis!! Brilliant!

“The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche” by Pompeo Batoni

To read more reviews about the books I’ve read, click ‘books‘ in the Tag Cloud or ‘Literature‘ under Categories.

[Originally written on Sep. 24, 2007 and since then had been re-read and the review re-edited]