C.S. Lewis’s book Till We Have Faces first appeared in 1956.
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold was published in 1956. It reimagines the ancient Cupid and Psyche story through the perspective of Orual, a princess who becomes queen of the fictional kingdom of Glome.
The novel is divided into two parts and explores love, jealousy, accusation, identity, and the difficulty of seeing oneself honestly. It is often described as Lewis’s last completed novel and is more psychologically intimate than his Narnia books.
The title comes from the novel’s central concern with hidden motives and the masks people present to others and themselves. It is sometimes overlooked because it is less familiar than Lewis’s children’s fiction, but many critics regard it as one of his most sophisticated literary works.