Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis

Till We Have Faces

by C. S. Lewis

Fascinated by the myth of Cupid and Psyche throughout his life, C. S. Lewis reimagines their story from the perspective of Psyche's sister, Orual. c

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

Till We Have Faces is a brilliant examination of envy, betrayal, loss, blame, grief, guilt, and conversion. In this, his final - and most mature and masterful - novel, Lewis reminds us of our own fallibility and the role of a higher power in our lives.

Reviewed by ladygrey on

3 of 5 stars

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I think that [a:C.S. Lewis|1069006|C.S. Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1367519078p2/1069006.jpg] is saying profound things about love, and they're things we don't often consider. And for that I enjoy reading it and thinking about what he's saying. But there's something too high brow or abstract about it. I can't manage to become involved in the story or even feel that I fully and truly understand it at times. I'm not invested in the main character and often don't like her, which I kind of think is one of the points. Her captain of the guard is the only character I feel I understand and my favorite part is when the queen is discussing him with his wife. That I understand.

I also sort of think, because it is well written and abstract, that as I continue to read it there will be different places I understand and other things I like. It's one of those books that grows with the reader, I suspect.

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  • Started reading
  • 1 January, 2006: Finished reading
  • 1 January, 2006: Reviewed