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Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold.
by Lewis, C.S
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Geoffrey Bles, 1956. First edition of Lewis' final novel retelling of Cupid and Psyche, based on its telling in a chapter of The Golden Ass of Apuleius. Octavo, original cloth. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket art by Biggs. An exceptional example. The first part of the book is written from the perspective of Psyche's older sister Orual, as an accusation against the gods. The story is set in the fictive kingdom of Glome, a primitive city-state whose people have occasional contact with civilized Hellenistic Greece. In the second part of the book, the narrator undergoes a change of mindset (Lewis would use the term conversion) and understands that her initial accusation was tainted by her own failings and shortcomings, and that the gods are lovingly present in humans' lives. Finally written in a "full flush of inspiration. it was certainly his most unexpected book, and his greatest tour de force; to many readers, and probably to himself, his best work of fiction (even if Perelandra remained his favourite)" (Green & Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography, 1974).
Synopsis
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold is a 1956 parallel novel by C. S. Lewis. It is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, which had haunted Lewis all his life, and which is itself based on a chapter of The Golden Ass of Apuleius. The first part of the book is written from the perspective of Psyche's older sister Orual, and is constructed as a long-withheld accusation against the gods.
Read More: Identifying first editions of Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold.
Reviews
On Nov 26 2010, Arslectoris said:
"Till We Have Faces" is my very favourite of the many excellent C. S. Lewis works I have read. On the surface, it is a retelling of the classic Greek myth of Psyche and Cupid, but in Lewis's capable hands it takes on far greater depth and signifigance- using the form of the myth, he creates a beautiful story of one woman's journey into bitterness and despair, and beyond it into joy. There are many striking themes woven into this tale, but the one that most impressed itself upon me was the question asked at the very end of the book, "how can we see the gods face-to-face until we have faces?" In other words, how can we understand God unless we are like Him? We are not like Him; He would not be God if we were- so how can we judge Him? We cannot judge Him; He is the one who judges us, and until we understand that, we are like the main character in this book, wandering bitterly in the dark because we will not accept the light on God's terms. Till We Have Faces is an incredible illustration of the truth that God is incomprehensible, and that when we attempt to judge Him we are really only judging ourselves. I very highly recommend this book!
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Details
- Bookseller
- Raptis Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140483
- Title
- Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold.
- Author
- Lewis, C.S
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Geoffrey Bles
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1956
- Keywords
- C.s. Lewis First Edition, Till We Have Faces First Edition
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Raptis Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed.
About the Seller
Raptis Rare Books
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida
About Raptis Rare Books
Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
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