I have a new book to share with you! But before I tell you about the book, let me introduce you to the author. He has written some of the most beloved children's books of his time, and ours, some of which have been made into feature films. Some of his other works provide insightful advice on the spiritual side of living, one of which has been adapted for the stage and radio. What's more, he was close friends with another great author of his time, and who is still celebrated today. You may already be familiar with who I am talking about. His name is Clive Staples Lewis. I have traveled throughout his imaginary world of Narnia more times than I can count, on paper and screen as well as listening to audio dramatizations of the books, and have been wanting to explore more of his writings.
I thought I had heard of all the titles that came from his pen. So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when I found a title that I had never seen before. It's called Till We Have Faces. The book is a retelling of an old myth written sometime in the 2nd century by the writer Apuleius. Reading this book made me want to read the original. I must say, it is a very interesting story. In the original, Psyche is the youngest and most beautiful of three royal sisters. She was so fair that people came from all over to worship her in place of the goddess Venus. Well, Venus grew jealous of Psyche's beauty and the worship she received because of it, so she commanded her son, Cupid, to make her fall in love with a monster and thus give her the retribution she deserved. The god agreed and made to obey his mother. However, while he was in the process of following through with his vengeful deed, he accidentally made himself fall in love with her. He became so enamored and so full of pity that he sought to rectify what he had done. Meanwhile, her parents received a prophecy that she was destined to wed a monster, and that she was to be taken to the top of the mountain and left to be claimed by her husband. After they had taken her and while she was fearfully waiting for the monstrosity to appear, the wind god retrieved her and took her to a palace with invisible servants who catered to her every whim. It was there that she found her husband, although she did not know what he looked like because he had forbidden her to set eyes on him. So, he came to her in the night and left before the sun rose over the horizon. After a time, even though her days were pleasurable, she began to be homesick and asked for permission to send for her sisters. Her husband agreed and sent the wind god to fetch them to her. Once the sisters saw where she had been living they grew jealous and wanted to make her miserable because of her luck. They told her that she had indeed wed a monster and advised her to take a candle and knife into the bedchamber with her that night, which she did. She lit the candle after her husband had fallen asleep, and only then did she realize that it was the god Cupid. Before she could snuff the candle out, she dripped hot wax onto his shoulder, which then woke him. Once he took in the situation, he flew away and the palace and everything in it disappeared. The poor girl wandered the countryside looking for her husband. She eventually went to Venus for help, who then set her doing many grueling tasks. After a time, Cupid learned of what was happening, and asked Jupiter to make Venus release Psych. He did, and Cupid and Psyche were wed, making her a goddess.
.jpg "Cupid and Psyche") |
| Cupid and Psyche |
The retelling was similar, except it told the story from the perspective of the oldest daughter, Orual. In fact, the story doesn't just consist of Psyche's story; it follows the heartache of a woman shunned by all she loves, and her life alone. It is divided into two parts. The first part is Orual's complaint against the gods for all the heartache and woes she has experienced throughout her life, one of which is having a not so pleasant countenance. She is the oldest daughter of the king of Glome; her tutor is a Greek slave called the Fox, who is more of a grandfather than tutor, the only man who ever truly loved her; her youngest sister is the Psyche from the myth, the Psyche who breaks her sister's heart and leaves her to nurture her hurts. She is sent to the mountain to be a human sacrifice for a monster because of her goddess-like beauty and countenance. It is here that the story walks away from Psyche, and instead follows Orual's turmoil over losing her beloved younger sister who she raised like she was her own child. The second part is Orual's coming to terms with who she is and realizing how powerful she could be if she let herself believe it.
Instead of summarizing the whole book, which would take entirely too long, I'll instead offer my thoughts on the story. I think one of the most poignant morals that can be pulled from this story is your life is what you make it. I know that sounds cliche and is overused, but this is definitely one of the underlying themes of the story. Orual allows her father to verbally, and sometimes physically, abuse her and make her think that she is ugly and not worth anything to anyone. She manages to find solace in the company of the Fox and Psyche, although that too is taken away from her. Initially she is bitter and hard, unwilling to believe that any good can come of her situation. However, in the last bit of the first part and into the second part she realizes that despite her flaws and misfortunes she can still be a powerful, loved leader if she is willing to embrace who she is. Psyche is also an example of this. At first the reader only thinks that she is deluded and has a childlike imagining of what her life is like with her husband. However, like Orual, that opinion is changed once the older sister sees a vision of the god telling her of Psyche's fate. Even though she is cursed to wander the earth, ever weeping and searching, scorned by all, Psyche still believes that her husband is out there waiting for her. It is this thought that helps her overcome all the obstacles between her and her lover. So we see the difference between the two sisters' outlooks: one has a miserable life because of how she views it, the other has a bearable life because she knows there is something better.
Even though it was his last, the writing in this book is some of Lewis' best that I have come across. I nearly wept when reading about Orual's heartache, and laughed when the Fox offered a nice retort. The overall beauty of this tale is enough to make it a treasured story. Lewis presents the raw emotion so very clearly, and in such a way that leaves the reader feeling the way the characters feel. This story is one of the best that has made its way from Lewis' mind to the bookstore, and yet it is the lesser known of all his works, and that makes me a little sad. So many have not had the opportunity to experience this amazing journey, unfortunately.
Well, that about wraps it up for this post. Now that you've had a taste of what this story has to offer, I hope you'll delve into the full adventure soon. If you already have experienced this adventure, I would love to hear what you think about it.
If you have any suggestions about what I should share my thoughts about, or any books, feel free to let me know!
Happy reading!
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