Which mythological couple inspires the retelling in C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces?

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

Published in 1956, Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold is Lewis's final work of fiction. It adapts the story of Cupid and Psyche from ancient mythology, especially the version preserved in Apuleius's Latin novel The Golden Ass.

Lewis relocates the action to the invented kingdom of Glome and narrates most of the novel through Orual, Psyche's older half-sister. This change in viewpoint lets the book examine jealousy, love, accusation and the difficulty of seeing other people truthfully. The title comes from the novel's concern with identity and honest self-knowledge.

The book is not a simple retelling with the original names and setting. Its characters and world are transformed, which is why readers may recognize the myth while encountering a substantially different narrative. Lewis considered it one of his best works.