What was C.S. Lewis's 1956 mythological novel about Psyche called?

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C.S. Lewis's 1956 mythological novel about Psyche is called Till We Have Faces.

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold reworks the ancient story of Cupid and Psyche from the viewpoint of Orual, Psyche's older sister. Instead of treating the myth as a simple romance, Lewis explores jealousy, grief, religious doubt, self-knowledge, and the difficulty of seeing other people clearly. The title comes from the novel's concern with identity and honest self-revelation.

Lewis wrote the book with Joy Davidman, whom he married in 1956. It was his last published novel and is often considered one of his most sophisticated fictional works. The book differs sharply from the Narnia novels: it is aimed at adults, draws on classical mythology, and uses a darker psychological atmosphere. Readers sometimes confuse it with Lewis's space trilogy, whose central novels include Perelandra and That Hideous Strength, but Till We Have Faces is a separate retelling of the Cupid and Psyche story.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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