When I first encountered CS Lewis as a young reader, I deliberately avoided Till We Have Faces. It sounded depressing—a retelling of a Greek myth that didn't promise the happy endings I craved. Years later, after rediscovering Lewis's works, I finally read both this novel and The Great Divorce, and they've become two of my most frequently quoted books.

Published in 1956, Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold stands as one of Lewis's absolute best novels, possibly influenced significantly by his w...