Rating: Summary: More Than an Inkling Review: C.S. Lewis himself thought that "Till We Have Faces" was his best book, and I see no reason to contradict him on that point. It is in every way a masterpiece: it is lucidly written, concise, profound, and above all is a masterly evocation of the human condition, a subject to which Lewis was very much attuned. It also illustates the depth of Lewis's understanding of classical mythology.I will take neither the time nor the space to fully summarize the entire book, partially because of the complexity of the plot, and partially because several people have summarized it satisfactorily before me, but I will denote the qualities that make it great. The character Orual is illustrative of Lewis's understanding of the Christian faith: she commits a very destructive sin, she becomes aware of her guilt, and she repents, but she is not merely forgiven; she is wholly transformed, into a new and perfect being; it is in casting off her corrupt self that Orual has become her real self. The book also has many overtones and subtleties that make it endlessly interesting: the symbolic significance of different characters, the role of the allegory throughout the story, and the juxtaposition of the natures of God and man. It also desrves to be noted that the book is extraordinarily well written. I mentioned above that the plot is somewhat complex; however, the book is written with such clarity that the plot is not difficult at all to follow. Lewis has quite a gift for expression throughout his fiction - such as the "Space Trilogy" or "The Great Divorce" or "The Screwtape Letters," as well as "Till We Have Faces," - that one never feels 'lost,' and no matter what odd turn the plot takes, Lewis guides the reader through it with all the care and understanding of a good teacher. I am not infrequently asked what my favorite book is, and I always reply without hesitation, "Till We Have Faces," and once you have read the book, I expect that you will see why.
Rating: Summary: A C.S.Lewis Masterpiece Review: This book is best out of all C.S. Lewis' adult works. I am generally in love with how he has told and written this novel. "A Myth Retold" is the perfect subtitle for this book. Lewis is never cliche in this book, he has taken something and molded it into a psychological and profound masterpiece. Orual is a daughter of a King and sister to Psyche. Cupid/Eros and Psyche's story is recongnizable. This only skims the surface of the book. Lewis makes a Orual into a character with jealous love for her sister Psyche. In Lewis' version, Orual is never jealous of Psyche. She is rather selfish and wants to have Psyche for herself. She is a deep and compex character plagued by many things. Her situations, her feelings, her jealous love are all told beautifully by Lewis. It is rare that I read such brilliant character developpement. Orual seems real when you read the words Lewis has told, you feel her almost. Even through this descriptive and deepened world, Lewis' writings are easy to comprehend and this book is flowing. His storytelling is aesthetic and undoubtly talented. The book makes you feel for Orual at times. I did give immense pathos and empathy to Orual at times. Lewis did a wonderful job wrapping you into this book. If you doubt the beginning of the book, at least give it more of a try and read through the WHOLE book because it gets more better as it goes on. By the end of this book, you'll have appreciated Lewis' talents in writing, storytelling, and characterization. This is one of his best books. A must for his fans. If you like great literature, this is something you should read right away. Rarely have I felt so flung into the character's life and feelings. As many have said, C.S. Lewis will always be a great author. This is truly one of his best works ever.
Rating: Summary: Hmmmm, I don't know if this was a good book.... Review: NOT!!! I'm 14 years old and I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is so creative and it has a lot of dialog- which means it never got boring- and it was so interesting! I loved it and rate it 5 stars!! *****
Rating: Summary: Till We Have Faces. Review: For all C.S.Lewis fans this book is a 'must-read'. The story really draws you in and you feel you are really living in the harsh olden-times in which this book is set. The book finishes in typical C.S.Lewis fashion with a 'happy-ever-after' Christian theme. There is a strong Christian thread in the 2nd-half of the book, but it is more like an historical myth in the first half. There is a magic and a wonder about the story which shows Lewis at his best. The heroine of the book is made to see her motives for what they really were and herself as she really is, but everything works out well at the very end!
Rating: Summary: never read a book like this Review: i have never read a book that so drew me into the so called "bad character" i knew the original myth of pysche and cupid but this truly does not focus on pyshce but instead on her "ugly" sister. the trials she goes through as she changes from a scared child to a queen is fascinating. the beautiful phrases lewis uses are aw inspiring as his eloquence is put forth for all to view. i would recommend this book for anyone who needs something other than mindless mush. it's beautiful and heartbreaking all in the same stroke and you sob with and for each character, definetly a great book and a complete classic. ( one finally not exclusively for english teachers, instead it's for their tortured students looking for something past the scarlet letter) :)
Rating: Summary: A surprising novel Review: I've always liked C.S. Lewis's allegories and writings on faith, but I never thought that he would produce such a beautiful and subtle work of fiction. This was actually assigned as a summer reading project in English, and I was also surprised at myself when I not only enjoyed it, but liked it better when I had to map out all its themes and parallels. The novel takes place in the times of ancient Greece, when myths are still being made, and it is interesting just to see the myth of Cupid and Psyche from another's point of view, Psyche's older sister Orual --especially the angry shock when she finds out how much the "true" story has been altered by the tellers of tales. It is also interesting to see how the gods themselves -- in this case, Aphrodite -- exist in all cultures but have different forms, and the beautiful goddess of the Greeks can be the vengeful hag of Orual's people. The myth structure is used to explore a number of themes: the nature of love, the nature of the gods, and the personal journey every person must make. Besides all this, though, there are two things that surprised me most of all: the main character, Orual, is multi-dimensional, and very female (even though her circumstances are different from most women). Whether you like her actions or not, you understand them, and you find yourself sympathizing with her even when she is being greedy or selfish. The other characters are interesting, too. The other thing is the way that Lewis masterfully combines the elements of myth and the ancient, polytheistic religion, and brings them to very Christian revelations. But if whether you are a Christian or not, you will still be moved by Orual's discoveries at the strangely satisfying ending.
Rating: Summary: Truly lovely... Review: To my mind, this is perhaps the finest piece Mr. Lewis ever produced: an allegorical re-telling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. It is neither bogged down by excessive detail and fatuous elements that go seemingly nowhere, nor does it seem too spare...in a word, this flows...and does it beautifully...almost mirroring Alan Paton in terms of sheer smoothness and comfort of read. While spare, the prose does not seem to lack for anything...Lewis constructs his story well, patiently, building us slowly to climax. This is, as mentioned earlier, a re-telling of a myth. It is also an exploration of love, false love, attachment, jealousy, envy, pride, limitation of human understanding, and, above all, the power of grace to redeem even the least lovely and least desirable among us. This is a lovely piece, giving a marvelous message of both hope and comfort. I recommend it most highly.
Rating: Summary: wow Review: From begining to end a perfect example of the art and skill of Mr. Lewis. Unlike any other of his books. Yet just as wonderful.
Rating: Summary: One of the five greatest books I've read. Review: In so many ways, this is CSL's literary masterpiece and, indeed, one of the greatest books that I have ever read--and, no doubt, will ever read. In the categories of plot, style, characterization and theme, TWHF reaches heights that few contemporary authors can even see, let alone achieve. And the ontological-theological-metaphysical message at the heart of CSL's allegorical retelling of the Psyche myth is . . . sublime, profound--so heartfelt and beautiful that even as I write this, I have chills. Read this book as fantasy. Read this book as literature. Read this book as the serious, crystalline thought of the finest Christian writer of the twentieth century. Read it time and again as I have, trying to fathom its magic and mysteries. But above all, my friends, _read_ this book. It is one of the most wonderful examples of why the Lord gave us eyes to read.
Rating: Summary: pack your bags you are going to a mythical place!! Review: This book introduced me to C.S. Lewis. I understand He is a great author and he shows his work in this great story. The book started slow but when you read on it unfolds into a marvellous story. Orual is a great fit for C.S. Lewis and I like the way he takes her and transforms her into a great character. I wasn't too familiar to mythology but I'm a fan now. Mr. Lewis made me a great fan of his with this work. I recommend it.
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