Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold is a 1956 novel by C. S. Lewis. It is a retelling of Cupid and Psyche, based on the version in The Golden Ass by Apuleius. The myth had haunted Lewis all his life, because he believed that some of the main characters' actions were illogical. As a consequence, he chose to retell the story from the perspective of Psyche's elder sister, a highly developed character, drawing the reader into her reasoning and emotions. This was his last novel, and he considered it his most mature, written in conjunction with his wife, Joy Davidman. The story is set in the fictional kingdom of Glome, a primitive city-state whose people have occasional contact with civilized Hellenistic Greece. The first part of the book is written from the perspective of Psyche's older sister Orual, as an accusation against the gods. In the second part of the book, the narrator undergoes a change of mindset and understands that her initial accusation was tainted by her own failings and shortcomings.