Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis

Sibling love and friendship are something most of us know. Till We Have Faces is an extraordinary novel that explores these aspects and much more.

The Story

It's a heartwarming love story. And not just with a partner.

Orual is a princess of Glome, along with her sisters Redivial and Psyche. Orual is very unattractive, while her sisters are. All loved Psyche as she is said to be 'prettier than Aphrodite herself,' Aphrodite being the goddess of beauty.

If you're unfamiliar with the story of Psyche in Greek mythology, don't worry; it's told both by others and from Orual's point of view.

After Psyche is sacrificed to be wed to 'the Brute' of the land, Orual sets off to find or bury her sister. Coming across a valley in the mountains, she finds her sister, who appears to be roaming the valley. In her mind, she was not. She was living in a palace built by her new husband, whose face she was told she would never see.

Orual devises a plan to show Psyche that it isn't love, that she is going mad, and that her new husband is barbaric. After the plan is hatched, it is revealed that the husband is a god, and Psyche is banished into exile, along with Orual.

Orual returned to Glome, living her days in the wonder of her beloved Psyche until she became Queen—the first Queen in Glome to fight battles alongside her knights and guards. She won many battles. She eventually marries Redivial, who bears children, Orual, claiming one of them as the next King of Glome after she passes.

Near her death, she has visions of her father, the trials she must endure, and a 'court' among the gods due to her complaint against the gods for what they did to her (Psyche).

Analysis

I had to read this book for a Love/Romance class, and I completely forgot about the 'love' aspect of the class. This book showed sisterly love to the point that it ruined the relationship. There was no rivalry between them, just deep sibling love.

The novel challenges readers to reflect on their perceptions of love, rendering it a complex and nuanced exploration.

Key themes outside of love include self-understanding, justice, and the interplay between beauty and ugliness. The title itself suggests that humans must strip away illusions and confront of their true selves before they can encounter the divine. This is shown towards the end when Orual finally sees the gods and their faces, revealing her own (since it has been veiled). The complaint against the gods questions divine justice and human suffering. Physical appearance in the novel often reflects inner morality, reinforcing other themes of transformation and perception.

5/5

I enjoyed this book very much. It only took me a week to read, as it's a page-turner to see what happens next with Orual and her trials of human suffering.

I recommend this book to those seeking more retellings of Greek mythology and sibling love stories. There is no true romance in this novel, but it is romantic.