Rating: 
Summary: Till We Have Faces
Review: This is not anything against C.S. Lewis as a writer because I am a huge fan of his Narnia series. This is just a note of caution to the reader, I am an avid reader of mythology and the story of Cupid and Psyche is one of my absolute favorites. It has to be said that anyone who truly loves that myth should be forwarned before reading that it practically has no resemblance to the myth and is told from the viewpoint of one of Psyche's older sisters. I came to the book with preconceptions and was severely disappointed when I read it. I could not even completely finish the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Astonishingly good!
Review: I must admit that the first time I read "Till We Hae Faces," I could not comprehend it. It was only until I re-read it years later that I discovered the grandeur and the genius of Lewis' story. I guess it had to wait for me to read other books, including the friend of C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, whose hand is clearly seen in it.
Orual sees herself as the victim in most of the book, until at the end she finds that she was the true opressor, not the gods that she accuses. "You also are Psyche." says the god when she does her act of spite against her sister, thinking that she is only acting for her good.
It reminds me of an epitaph Lewis once wrote:
Erected by her sorrowing brothers
In memory of Martha Clay.
Here lies one who lived for others;
Now she has peace. And so have they. (Poems, p. 134)This has to be one of Lewis' best books, well worth reading. Orual does find her face in the end, in a stunning twist.
Rating:
Summary: It's About Love
Review: I find myself recommending this work more than any other of Lewis' fiction. It is a painting of general revelation, where Lewis builds on the ideas within The Last Battle, where a character who has always worshipped the demon god Tash finds that he so loved Tash with true love, that he was actually worshipping Aslan, whom he never personally met. In Till We Have Faces, Lewis looks at how someone could come to Christ who lived at the time of the Israeli kings, far to the North, in a country where the protagonist, Orual, could not possibly know anything of the Judeo-Christian tradition. It is two love stories in one, building on the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, to explore how Jesus woos us to love Him with all that we are- each in different ways, in a personal relationship. The book is mythic in style, and the beginning has a feel of timelessness and legend. Orual and her sister, Psyche, grow up together, learning about the ways that men objectify and treat women based on their appearance- for a woman, appearance is everything in the eyes of their society. (Somewhat familiar.) And then Psyche finds a mysterious man, that Orual knows nothing of. Through the wooing of the mysterious stranger, Orual and her sister Psyche learn to more fully love others. And because of the focus on female characters, this is some of Lewis' most feminist work- strong female characters who think and develop and become complete, and completely heroic.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book is the most amazing book that I have ever read. It illuminates ultimate truths and truth in a way that I though impossible. Through a life of pain and the process of redemption outlined within we see our own sufferings and the possibility of our own redemption and healing.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book!!!
Review: Well, to say the least, C.S. Lewis's work is awesome. I am a huge fan of the 'Chronicles of Narnia', which is what pushed me to buy this book. 'Till We Have Faces' is a great story, the tale of Cupid and Psyche. I visited a website the other day that was Anti-C.S. Lewis or something; the authors were crazy and called him a tool of the devil! Obviously they had not read his work; although it is wrong of a Christian such as Mr. Lewis to believe in Greek gods and goddesses, he uses these beings as a mere reference to his Christian theme. The book tells the story of a princess of the "savage" lands near Greece, and how the beautiful Psyche comes into her family and teaches her a life lesson. The book is about love, and faith, and selfishness. It is a great addition to anyone's bookshelf, even if the reader is an Athiest. In addition to great literature and a furthur explanation of God's ways, this book gave me inspiration to some of my own writing. I recommend it!!
Rating:
Summary: Simply Gorgeous
Review: I can't say enough good about Till We Have Faces. This deep, strange, profoundly Christian book changed my life when, as a young agnostic attorney, I read it in 1985 and realized I was reading an allegory about, of all things, a religion (Christianity) which until then I'd dismissed as shallow myth. Till We Have Faces woke me up. Since then I've learned it's I who am shallow. I can't see His depth because I lack eyes. I can't see His face because I don't have a face. Christ's purpose is to help us shape our divine face if only we're willing. As Hamlet realized: "The readiness is all."
Rating:
Summary: Bad transition, Great book...
Review: Till We Have Faces is one of the greatest books I have ever read. It tricks the reader into sympathizing with the supposed oppressed. Then it rips out your heart as it shows that the oppressed is truly the oppressor. The real sting of it all is that it reveals the oppressor within each of us. Each of us is wrapped within the confines of our own experience. Each of us, like Lewis' Orual, tends to see only our own challenges. Each of us tends to most hurt the ones we love. Are we alert enough, focused enough on other's needs to live the truly "good life?" The greatness of Till We Have Faces is not that it hits us with a self-convicting surprise. Its greatness is in showing how prevalent the problem is. Even those of us with the greatest of intentions are infected by self-interest and sin. Read Till We Have Faces--it is a life-changing book.
Rating:
Summary: Lewis' most accomplished work of fiction
Review: "Till We Have Faces" lacks some of the traits which make us love Lewis' other works - it's un-English, un-donnish, it lacks his quirky sense of humour, it is not edifiying; yet there are a kind of coherence, a unity of tone and majestic pathos which make the novel impressive in a unique way. Above all, Lewis handles myth - the subtitle is "A Myth retold" - with a respect of which he alone among 20th century writers seems to be capable. There is no demythologizing, and yet the reader understands the implications, the power, and the tragedy of the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a completely new way. The story is told by Orual, Psyche's older sister; she is such an impressive and strong female character than one is surprised an utterly conservative man like Lewis could have created her. She rebels against the gods and the people who won't leave her beloved beautiful sister Psyche alone. - Telling more about what happens might spoil the reader's enjoyment of the book, so I won't do it. - Read this book and get to know a C.S. Lewis you have not met before; but above all you will enjoy a supremely crafted work of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, allegorical tale!
Review: Lewis explores the human psyche in this literary masterpiece. You will go away with insights that you might not have considered before after reading this wonderful book!
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Put It Down
Review: Wonderful. Couldn't put it down. Very easy to read and thought provoking.
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