Selected Books

The Pilgrim's Regress / Prayer: Letters to Malcolm / Reflections on the Psalms / The Abolition of Man / Till We Have Faces
Author: C. S. Lewis
Genre: all sorts
Publication info: HarperCollins, 2002
Pages: 623

This was one of the many books I bought during my stay in the British Isles. You know I can't resist a C. S. Lewis title, so five titles in one is impossible to resist. What attracted me mainly was Till We Have Faces, Lewis's final and favorite work of fiction. It helped also that four out of the five books included were ones I didn't own nor had read (The Abolition of Man being the exception).

I won't bother to summarize each book individually, but I will say that I enjoyed them all. They made me think; they made me feel; they made me wonder. The Pilgrim's Regress was Lewis's first work of fiction. It's an interesting allegory that documents a man's journey into Christianity. It's a pretty interesting story, but it does have its flaws (such as sexism, which Lewis is often accused of). I also had a hard time understanding what each allegorical element represents. If I had lived in Lewis's time, maybe I would have understood better.

Prayer and Reflections are both fascinating theological treatises. Although I would be lying if I said I always understood what Lewis means, I will say that he definitely makes me think about things. Even if I don't always agree with specific doctrines he believes in, I think he makes some excellent points. You'll just have to read the books to see for yourself.

But of all the books in this collection, Till We Have Faces is definitely my favorite. It's a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche (you don't need to know the original myth—in fact, Lewis summarizes it in the introduction). Even so, it is actually the story of Orual, Psyche's half-sister. Orual is ugly and unloved, while Psyche is exactly the opposite, but still they enjoy the closest relationship sisters can have. All is well until Ungit, the goddess of the land, demands a human sacrifice, and Psyche is to be the victim. What happens as a result transforms both of them in ways they could not have imagined.

I remember reading The Chronicles of Narnia and finding The Last Battle to be particularly mind-blowing. Till We Have Faces had the same effect on me. At the end, I felt that I had come to the conclusion of a long journey and that I had changed as a person. I can see why this book was Lewis's favorite. His writing, I think, is much more masterful and well-crafted than in the Narnia books. It's a shame that this book is not as well known among his millions of fans. If you enjoy C. S. Lewis's work, I recommend this to you, and if you aren't familiar with him yet, perhaps this book would be a good introduction.