Outside the “Chronicles of Narnia” books, C.S. Lewis is widely known for his Christian works, including “Mere Christianity,” “The Screwtape Letters” and “The Problem of Pain.” But Auron MacIntyre argues that Lewis was also an accomplished novelist.
On his show, MacIntyre spoke with British commentator and Lewis enthusiast Nick Dixon about what they call Lewis’ most underrated novel, “Till We Have Faces.” The book retells the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. Though it is sometimes described as Lewis’ most pagan work, MacIntyre and Dixon see it as a story shaped by his Christian faith and conversion.
MacIntyre said Lewis first considered writing the book from an atheist’s perspective, focusing on the idea that people are victims of the gods. By the time he wrote it, later in life, Lewis had come to believe people could be responsible for their own suffering. That change, MacIntyre suggested, is reflected in the novel.
Orual and her younger half-sister, Psyche, are raised by the Fox, a Greek tutor who rejects belief in the gods and prizes reason. When Psyche is chosen as a sacrifice to a mountain god, she later says she is happy in his unseen palace. Orual cannot see the palace and refuses to believe her sister, ultimately wrecking Psyche’s happiness.
MacIntyre said Orual begins by blaming the gods and seeing herself as a victim, but eventually understands that she has been the one causing harm. For him, that turn toward repentance makes the novel deeply Christian, despite its pagan setting. He also said Orual’s redemption and eventual reconciliation with the gods feel unlike what one might expect from a Greek myth.
Dixon agreed that, although Christ is never named directly, the novel can be read as a Christian conversion story. He said he is especially interested in reading the book alongside Lewis’ life.
Dixon pointed to Sept. 19, 1931, when J.R.R. Tolkien helped persuade Lewis that Christianity was “the one true myth.” The conversation marked a turning point in Lewis’ long movement from atheism to Christianity. Dixon sees a similar shift in the novel’s ending: the characters reconsider their beliefs, the Fox recognizes his mistake, and Psyche is ultimately affirmed as a Christlike figure.
