Which myth provides the central story behind C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces?

Cupid and Psyche provides the central myth behind C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces. Published in 1956, the novel retells the classical story from the viewpoint of Orual, a princess whose jealousy and grief shape her understanding of events.

Lewis sets the book in the fictional ancient kingdom of Glome. Orual’s half-sister Psyche is loved by a mysterious god, but Orual doubts the truth of Psyche’s experience and becomes determined to expose what she believes is happening. The novel therefore changes the emphasis of the original myth, giving the older sister a complex narrative voice.

The title comes from the novel’s reflections on identity, self-knowledge, and the need to speak honestly before the gods. Lewis regarded Till We Have Faces as one of his best works. It is not part of The Chronicles of Narnia and is aimed at a more mature audience.