Book Review: Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis (Five Stars)

Book Review: Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C. S. Lewis

(Five Stars)

“Why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?”

The best fiction Lewis wrote. Totally different than both his space trilogy and the Narnia books. Not so much overtly Christian as universal, pondering the deeper questions of life. Setting his story in a pre-Christian time and culture, Lewis forces us outside the comfort of what we think we know: to examine ourselves, even as we judge or sympathize with Orual

“And we said we loved her.” “And we did. She had no more dangerous enemies than us.”

I noted three pages of quotes with which to support this review, but find myself unable to include more thana fraction, and hesitant to mislead. Not worried about spoilers. In fact, if you haven’t read this book, breeze through it once for the story. If you’ve only read it once, read it again. Slowly and thoughtfully.

“The gods never send us this invitation to delight so readily or so strongly as when they are preparing some new agony. We are their bubbles; they blow us big before they prick us.”

Thanks to fellow goodreads.com member Werner A. Lind whose excellent review motivated me to read it again.

“I ended my first book with the words no answer. I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away.”