Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Do LDS people love any other non-LDS writer as much as they love C.S. Lewis? Probably not. Like so many readers out there I have always enjoyed C.S. Lewis's books--especially the Chronicles of Narnia. As a teenager I would read those books at least once a year (along with Charlie). That's probably why I was so excited to discover a new, and I believe lesser known, novel by Lewis.

Till We Have Faces is a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, from the view point of Psyche's unattractive sister, Orual. Orual is a homely but smart girl who is dumbfounded by her younger sister's beauty and would give anything in the world to see her succeed. However, when Psyche's beauty turns her into a pagan sacrifice Orual tries to save her--only to discover that Psyche was not the one who needed saving.

This book is not only a fantastic story with interesting characters and suprising plot twists, but it also, like so many Lewis books, serves as a metaphor for the ultimate sacrifice that is the center of all Christianity and how we relate to it. If anything, I love this book for what the process of reading it teaches me about myself.

Note: I read this in a book club awhile ago and a couple of the not-so-bookish women thought this was a little difficult to read. So, since reading is often more about expectations than what is actually in the book, be prepared for a book that will make you think :)

4 comments:

Tristi Pinkston said...

This sounds fascinating, and I agree - CS Lewis is fabulous.

Laura said...

If you read it let me know. This is one book I NEVER get tired of talking about. I feel like I learn so much from what other people think about it too.

Frozen Okie said...

I absolutely love Till We have Faces. Supposedly it was Lewis's personal favorite of all his novels.

Christine Thackeray said...

I am writing a book right now about C. S. Lewis that should be out in the fall. Till We Have Faces is one of my favorites too. I hiccup-sobbed when Orual found out what was in the box. Her sister had gone to the depths of hell to bring her beauty- wish someone would do that for me.

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