Till We Have Faces
A Myth Retold
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4.4 • 42 Ratings
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses- one beautiful and one unattractive- C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who posessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the troubled Orual on a path of moral development.
Set against the backdrop of Glome, a barbaric, pre-Christian world, the struggles between sacred and profane love are illuminated as Orual learns that we cannot understand the intent of the gods "till we have faces" and sincerity in our souls and selves.
Customer Reviews
Til We Have Faces
Prior to my reading of this book, I was not fluent in the myth of Cupid and Psyche, so some portions seemed a bit odd at first. I found the Queen a bit self centered and self serving…more concerned with her own personal pain than that of the people she claimed to love. Then again, perhaps she was simply acting as most humans do. Her “conversion” later in the story is quite subtle - it feels more as if she is simply atoning for not understanding the people she cared for. For a short story, it felt rather long.
Slow Start, ‘Eh’ Ending
I usually enjoy C.S. Lewis, but I have to say this was not Mr. Lewis’ best. Although an entertaining take on an ancient myth, I found the story lacking for the following:
Personally, I don’t prefer 1st person narratives because they sometimes read rather rambling at times (e.g. a character spatting on and on about things non pertaining to the storyline), and I feel this is how Lewis wrote much of Part 1. Therefore, I found Part 1 dragged on much longer than needed. Once I reached Part 2 the story picked up in pace and also in depth, and I found myself starting to enjoy it. And just as the story hints at coming to a close, Lewis ends it abruptly, and I found myself wanting more closure to the tale. Hence the three star review.
Ebook Formatting and Config messed up
story great, this version is awful. spend money for the better one