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Summary: Lewis' hidden commentary on society's idol-worshipping
Review: On the most superficial level, C.S. Lewis' novel, Till We Have Faces, is somewhat of a fairy tale. It involves three sisters-Orual, Redival, and Istra (or Psyche)-who are daughters of a king. The eldest, Orual, is the plainest and most abused, while the youngest, Istra, is revered as a goddess. It is a story full of double meanings, sacrifices, valor, and hidden identities. However, many of these hidden 'identities' can be found in the underlying themes of the story. I believe this story to be primarily a commentary on the meaning of true worth. Throughout the story, Orual is completely disregarded because she does not meet society's standards. Her father rails at her and beats her every time something in life displeases him. Even she understands that the world will despise her and make her their scapegoat because she is different or "ugly." From an early age, she knows that the would "would be cureller to [her] than to Redival because of [her] ugliness" (Lewis, 12). Her only value to this jaded society is in her knowledge. When her father hires a tutor for his family, he tells the Greek slave who fills the position to educate Orual well: "See if you can make her wiser; it's about all she'll ever be good for" (Lewis, 7). In contrast, the youngest princess, called both Istra and Psyche, is the most extravagantly revered person in the story, save Ungit, their equivalent of the Greek Aphrodite or the Roman Venus. Solely on the basis of her beauty, she is equivocated with a goddess. Her subjects even go so far as to make offerings of sorts to her. As if appeasing her would bring prosperity, they lay "down a branch of myrtle at [her] feet and bowed and put dust on [their heads]." In the time of a plague, they nearly tear down the castle walls, insisting that the only one who can save them is Istra: "Send out the Princess with her healing hands...She has beauty enough, that's one thing. And spirit" (Lewis, 31). And when things do not improve, they typically call her the Accursed one. The society does not have faith in her intellectual skills or her practical knowledge. If this were so, they would have turned to Orual in the first place. Instead, they first and foremost look to the tangibly worthy. This draws a strong parallel to our own society, a point that must have been intentionally made by Lewis in his construction of the story. I was amazed by the society's superficial devotion to such a weak force as beauty, then was struck by the poignancy of Lewis' message on the false gods we worship. The most powerful blow came near the end of the book. Orual discovers that she, herself, is Ungit. Throughout the book, Ungit has been the most highly respected force of the society. She is the goddess of love, lust, and prosperity and is unrivaled in her beauty. The point of revelation of Orual as the true force behind this power, though she is despised as the antithesis of everything society worships in this goddess, is the most powerful moment in the entire story. It reveals that it is not material beauty that mankind should worship, but the true beauty that comes from within the human spirit. In the end, C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces is a testament to the noble beauty that can be found within every person and a condemnation of the materialistic hovel we exist in.
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Summary: It involves inner struggles over love and loss.
Review: C. S. Lewis' novel Till We Have Faces is highly thought provoking. It is a remake of the Greek myth about Psyche and Cupid. The tale is told from the perspecitve of Orual, the sister of Psyche. It involves her inner struggles over love and loss. Orual is pitifully ugly. She is told so from the day that she understands what the word means. In contrast, her younger sisters, Redival and Psyche, are beautiful. She must deal with the daily comparisons that are made between them. She tries to distance herself from jealousy, but the reader can see how close to the line she actually treads. On the surface, her actions seem to portray unconditional love for Psyche. Yet as the story progresses, the reader becomes puzzled by the strange love that Orual shows Psyche. Orual is near homicide in her love. For example, Orual goes to search out Psyche on the mountain (an act of love), yet when she finds her and realizes her happiness she can't control herself (jealousy). She seems to be upset that Psyche, who once worshipped her, was now subject to a new "lord." Orual cannot stand the competition for Psyche's love. Unconditional love would place Orual is ecstasy that her Psyche is so happy. That leaves the reader with the question "Is pure love peaceful or stormy?" The story also shows Orual's struggles to reach perfection. She constantly compares herself to people that she deems perfect and imperfect. This tempest that is beating in Orual's mind adds the question, "What is perfection, and how does one achieve it?" As the tale progresses and she gets older, Orual realizes that perfection has nothing to do with outer beauty, but rather inner beauty and the works that a person performs during his or her life. She discovers that all her life she has been searching for something that has always been inside her. The story is easy to read, but the symbolism is hard to decipher. The second book is also quite confusing. It is in this book that the psychological aspects of the tale are brought out. The whole story is rounded off in this section. I liked the book and would recommend it, but with a warning. It is easy reading, but if one is trying to analyze the text in depth, he or she must do just that. The reader must dig down deep in the heart of the story to understand it completely. I don't think that it is a normal work for C. S. Lewis. The meaning in it is different than that of the Chronicles of Narnia. I don't think that this book was specifically written for children, as was the Chronicles of Narnia. I found the book powerful and inspirational. If we could all realize in the beginning of our lives what it took Orual an entire lifetime to realize, we would lead happier and more productive lives. We would be satisfied with our talents and ourselves. In this way, the world would hopefully become a better place in which to live.
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Summary: Dealing with pain and loss
Review: There is something about classic stories retold that totally changes the way I feel about the story. The change of perspective and point of view has the power to evoke new emotions and responses. This is the effect that Til We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis, has on the myth of Cupid and Psyche. By telling the story from the sister's point of view the story changes completely. When seen through her eyes her actions make more sense. What was accepted for fact in the original story becomes a misunderstanding. It all goes back to hearing both sides of a story. When only one side is told the reader is conditioned to think one way. But when the other side is told the whole picture comes into focus. There are so many points of view from which this story could be told. By choosing Psyche's sister, Orual, C.S. Lewis changed her from a jealous, plotting, sinister sister into one that loved Psyche so much but made a horrible mistake and suffered for it the rest of her life. With this change in perspective the story transforms into an in-depth tale of the joys and struggles inherent with loving someone too much. The joy that is a part of Orual's life with Psyche is so great that she suffers unceasing torment when Psyche is no longer with her. This is really very different from the original. Yet this change in perspective makes it into a very different tale. Lewis took an old tale and made a new one that is wonderful to read. From Orual's perspective it becomes apparent that there is nothing of jealousy in her for Psyche's beauty and her own lack thereof. Orual has a sisterly love for Psyche that supersedes everything else in her life. Nothing that Orual does in life means more to her than what she does to Psyche. In fact her life revolves around Psyche. Without Psyche's company Orual ceases to be herself and becomes something not quite human. Soon after Psyche left for good she changed into something called The Queen, whom even she didn't really know or understand. The real Orual lies deep within this new being and comes to the surface only to feel deep pain and remorse. All the struggles that Orual goes through really bring the reader into the book. It is easier to relate to someone who has problems and feels pain than someone who is perfect. That is the essence of the whole book - dealing with pain and loss. Orual is a very complex character. First she is ugly, which she accepts, then she hides her face and out comes the inner beauty which everyone else sees but she has a very hard time accepting. It's as if she can accept the bad about herself but never the good. When she does something right she doesn't really believe its her doing it. It's either The Queen that does it or one of her advisors. She won't take credit for it. This really makes me feel for her. She has a very low self esteem that is the result of her circumstances. She is an easy character to get close to because of her weaknesses and faults. Since she isn't perfect it is only natural to relate to her and her feelings. Lewis does an excellent job of making Orual a real, living character. Her experiences, while bizarre, really brought me into the story. Her sufferings reached out to me and cried for help. This book was very easy to read and hard to put down. I really enjoyed seeing this other side to the classic myth. By having Orual tell the story it was easy to relate to her. The reader knows everything that she is thinking and feeling. Which is wonderful when it comes to really being able to understand a character's point of view. Through all of her joys and pains Orual truly develops into a wonderful person.
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Summary: Lewis' true heroine and pathos make this book a great read
Review: Many authors have taken old stories and retold them from another character's point-of-view in order to change the theme and lesson portrayed in it. C.S. Lewis did just that in his Till We Have Faces, a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche from the perspective of one of Psyche's treacherous sisters. In doing so, Lewis adds depth to a superficial story and makes his readers question the motive of their love.Orual, the eldest sister of Psyche, doesn't love anyone more than she loves her youngest sister. In turning the story in this direction, Lewis shifts the conflict from one between the sisters to one at first between Orual and the supposed gods who were the cause of Psyche's sacrifice and then, after Orual realizes her fault in her loss of Psyche, a conflict between Orual and herself. Orual's haunting self-examination and the revelation that she has loved Psyche so much that she pulled her away from happiness, and that she also has done so with everyone she has ever loved is a stirring wake-up call to all of us. The lesson that love is not a selfish action, but one in which, if you act with pure intent, your most important wish is for the one you love to be happy, is one which we all need to learn, as it will bring about greater happiness both in our lives and the lives of those we love. The title of the novel is the source of another important lesson. Throughout her life, Orual lives with the fact that her looks are anything but attractive. To make things worse, her sister Redival, whom she absolutely detests, is considered somewhat of a beauty. Her father tells her she looks like a man, and that her looks could knock down a horse, and the like, and she becomes embarrassed to show her face to anyone. She puts on a veil, and decides never to take it off. When she does so, people stop noticing her ugly looks and begin to focus on who she is. As queen she becomes famous for her generosity, courage, and wisdom. She is remembered as the bravest, most valiant queen who ever lived. Her fame spreads, and so do tales that she wears the veil to cover a beautiful face, because certainly no one whose acts are so lovely can be ugly. Thus, through her actions, Orual receives a new face, a beautiful one, one which fits her personality and love for others. In doing so she conquers the goddess, who has no face, and achieves her victory over the gods. Lewis' portrayal of love as the only thing to brighten an otherwise bleak and desolate world is fitting in this day. At a time when selfishness and greed are prevalent, the world needs a lesson in the value of devotion to others. Till We Have Faces is just that lesson. It provides a great example of love to all who are willing to learn from it.
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Summary: wow and ouch!
Review: probably one of the most incredible books that I've ever read. Read most of his works, but this one is incisive and piercing every time I revisit the agony of reality it presents. "Lekhem panim" in hebrew refers to the bread of G-d's presence, but literally translated is "bread of faces" and resides in the Holy Place. Something that we need for the nourishment of our souls, and CS Lewis is definitely the consumate baker.
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Summary: read with caution, it will change you.
Review: Till We have Faces is about a girl who is forced to face her own Abyss, and then find that Beauty can come from ugly honesty. A book full of eternal truth.
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Summary: LIFE CHANGING BOOK
Review: To call this merely a book, is like calling Niagra Falls, merely a water fountain. CS Lewis takes you on a tour of your soul, showing how the dragons and demons within, are ten times more frightening than the demons without. I tremble at how clearly Lewis can hold up a mirror and force us to look in it, and yet have us walk away with MORE compassion on ourselves and others. CS Lewis' lifetime of work, suffering and joy, is boiled down into this one book. Reading it is a life-changing event. But it will mean more to you if you read certain CS Lewis books first, especially Mere Christianity, Surprised by Joy, The Weight of Glory, Miracles and The Great Divorce. This is truly CS Lewis "dessert". Don't miss it, but save it for last.
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Summary: Haunting and amazingly written
Review: C.S. Lewis is one of the most amazing writers of our time. He tells this story with haunting descriptions and a raw honestly. No aspect of a charecter is hidden. This is an amazing book.
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Summary: Awesome read, even the 8th time...
Review: Right now this is my favorite book, even after reading it 8 times. The book is divided into two parts: the first half is a "complaint against the Gods", where Queen Oural tells her life story and how "the Gods" have ill-used her and lied about her; and it seems that she is indeed ill-used. The second half of the book is an addendum, where she realizes that she's been a horrible person all her life; she's sucked the blood out of everyone that loved her and discarded them when she's finished; and about her redemption. Full of powerful symbolism and the terrible truth of God's love.
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Summary: Lewis' finest work (IMHO)
Review: Lewis is a literary genius - that much is certain. But this book is extraordinary as no other I have known. With each reading, one is pulled into the depths of one's self, and forced to come face to face with new levels of truth. Each time you will take away with you a new revelation. If you have ever been angry at God, or wondered why things were so unfair, this is definitely the book for you. (Although I would recommend it to anyone.) Truly a magnificent piece of literature.
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