Which C.S. Lewis book adapts the Cupid and Psyche myth?

The story behind the answer

Till We Have Faces is C.S. Lewis's novelistic adaptation of the Cupid and Psyche myth.

Published in 1956, the book retells the ancient story from the viewpoint of Orual, a princess and queen rather than from the perspective of the traditionally idealized Psyche. Lewis uses the fictional kingdom of Glome to examine jealousy, self-deception, suffering, and the difficulty of honestly confronting one's motives.

The title comes from the novel's concern with people hiding behind emotional and spiritual disguises. Orual's account gradually becomes an act of self-examination, and the myth is transformed into a psychologically complex modern narrative rather than a simple reproduction of its classical source.

Lewis regarded Till We Have Faces as one of his best works. It is separate from the Narnia series, although both books use mythic structures and questions about moral transformation.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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