Last fall, I attended a seminar on C S Lewis, where the presenter said that “Til We Have Faces” was his most difficult book to understand. Last week, I heard another lecture from a different expert in which he made no mention of it. When he asked for a show of hands on which of Lewis’ books was the best, he did not include “Til We Have Faces.”
I read that book
decades ago, and I remembered it as my favorite fiction by C S Lewis. I could no longer remember details, but I
remember it as drawing me in, not intellectually, as much as speaking to my
spirit. I decided to reread it. I got a copy on Sunday and have read it over
the past 3 days while doing numerous other things. This morning, I decided to stay in my pajamas
until I finished it. It seems to me that
the point of the book is not intellectual understanding, but a deep piercing into
one’s soul.
There is certainly
much to be derived for one’s intellect.
I could write of how each of the types of love Lewis describes in his
book “The Four Loves” is demonstrated in “Til We Have Face.” Questions asked in this work, echo questions
asked in his nonfiction book “The Problem of Pain.” I could explain how the book has multiple
layers of allegory. By that I mean that
there are multiple allegories in play, and that some of the characters are
representative of more than one person or concept. I could talk about the symbolism of the veil
which hides the main character’s face. Lewis
also deals with the meaning of being a woman, her role in life, and the
difficulties imposed by society’s expectations of women. One could write a book that was just a
literary analysis of this novel.
However, looking
at it as a mental exercise would miss the impact of allowing the book to search
one’s soul. If you read it, allow
yourself to consider the ways in which we humans foolishly shake our fists in
God’s face and demand answers of Him.
How do we attempt to hide our own sinful ugliness from a God who sees
and knows all? What does it take for us
to acknowledge we are sinners as we stand before the Almighty?
Don’t be tempted
to read the last page before you get to it naturally. Allow yourself to be drawn to the conclusion
along with the main character. Question
and suffer along with her. Search your
own soul. I cried as I read the final paragraph.
