What is this book about?

Sin and love and mercy and grace. Sin, because all are born with sin and we live with the consequences of our sin. Love, because God's love for us provides a way to be free from our sin. Mercy and grace, because we accept God's love by faith through grace.

Is the main character of this book Orual, or is it Psyche?

I think Orual is the main character because it is her story we follow. Although Psyche's story is interwoven throughout.

What's the prevailing message?

Our selfish natures can (and usually do) cloud our judgments. We cannot see our true selves clearly, and we cannot change our true selves without God's love and grace.

Is this book relatable?

I think so. Although I hope I'm not as bad as Orual, I can sort of see myself. I know I can be selfish and wanting things my own way. And sometimes I feel like Psyche when I know I'm right and someone is trying to get me to do something I know would be wrong.

Is this book for people who are "hurt from losing love" like Orual, or is it for people who "lost love from hurt" like Psyche?

I think it can be for both, although it's probably more for people who are hurt from losing love.

What are we taking away from this book? Leaving behind?

I suppose we're taking away renewed knowledge in our sinful natures and the devastation we can cause even when we don't mean to. We can be like Orual and torment others without realizing it when we can't have our way. I'm not sure what we're leaving behind.

What do you think of Lewis' comments about the book?

Well, I found it interesting that apparently some readers thought it was allegorical and Lewis did not intend it to be (much like Narnia). And the last paragraph was a bit of an eye-opener. I never really thought about how people who become Christians in a non-Christian family go through since I never had to experience it.

Did you like this book?

Till We Have Faces is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. Why? It just is. I've never been able to describe why I like it so much (although I have tried). The first time I read it I was sixteen and had a very hard time putting it down. I don't think I put it down at all after Orual became Queen. Even now after reading it five times I still don't like to be interrupted when I reach the second book. It's a look into human nature, and I think that's something anyone can relate to.

I've really enjoyed being a part of this reading group. I'm only sorry that I've been too busy to get really involved in the discussion. I'm kind of sad that it's over, but I like the ending of the book so much that it almost makes up for it. Almost.

1. Its about what God is, versus what people say about him; how human love is not enough; how sin corrupts and grace restores; how humans can't really accuse God of anything. Both the Glomish and Greek perceptions of the gods were very different from the real thing. Merely human love led to most of the struggle between Orual and Psyche. The sin taints Orual's love, and grace restores it. I'll sum up their relationship in a quote from The Great Divorce:

You cannot love a fellow creature fully until you love God

You can't really accuse God of anything because he's what gave you the power to do that in the first place, so your accusations really don't make sense when you see it from His perspective.
2 I think Orual is the main character, as we see everything from her point of view--its her story, really. Psyche is definitely a major character, though.
3 The selfish nature of individuals cannot be changed except by the grace of God.
4 Yes, definitely. Even when I didn't like what Orual was doing, I could see why she was doing it, and could find parallels in my own actions. I also think the whole beauty/ugliness conflict was very relatable.
5 For both, I think.
6 I think we're taking away the knowledge that natural love is not enough, and that God is the only one who can change us. All we're leaving behind is this excellent discussion.
7 I though those were pretty interesting. He says much the same thing in The Four Loves as he did in that last passage. I like how everything isn't necessarily intended as an allegory.
8. Yes, I did. I liked it very much. I thought it was very well done. I'd read it before, but this discussion made me see new things in it. I thought Orual was one of the best-done characters I ever read about. I sort of 'got inside her head' really well, better than I have in any other book. It was different than anything by Lewis I'd read before, but it was equally good in a different sort of way, a more mature sort of way. And I loved the last passage best of all.

What is this book about?

One of the main themes I saw was that of self-delusion. Orual was convincing herself of things that were not true. She didn't want to see the truth. I don't think this is the main thing the book is about but it is one of the more interesting. It is the filter through which we see the story. We can't be sure if she is telling us the truth or what she believes to be the truth. It is about different types of love: corrupt love, love of the gods, etc. Jealous, envy, and sin play a big role too.

Is the main character of this book Orual, or is it Psyche?

Orual is clearly the main character. It is her feelings, emotions, and actions that drive the book. Psyche is a important character and she learns and changes in the book as well but not as much as Orual.

What's the prevailing message?

It is rather hard for me to say. I think like the others said it has to do with humans' selfish nature and needing God's help to change. I think it serves as a warning against trying to blame God for what goes wrong in our lives and seeing it as a personal attack.

Is this book relatable? (That is. . . can you relate to any of the characters)

Yes it is. I would love to say that I'm like Psyche but that would only be partly true. I also see Orual in myself, although as DotK said, I hope I'm not as bad. We all sin and all are guilty of jealousy at sometime or another. The idea of doing things for love and using love as a weapon are still very prevalent today.

Is this book for people who are "hurt from losing love" like Orual, or is it for people who "lost love from hurt" like Psyche?

Both. I would think either group and people in general would get something out of this book.

What are we taking away from this book? Leaving behind?

There is so much in this book it is hard to say. I think a big part of it is that no one can change with out God's help and that we can't see anything clearly in the state we are in now. We might think we do but we really don't. I also think we are taking away the idea that love can be very dangerous and harmful, especially when it is a jealous and selfish love (like Orual's). I would love to say that I am leaving my confusion behind but there are still many things I am puzzled over.

What do you think of Lewis' comments about the book?

I enjoyed reading his words but some of them gave me a bit of discomfort. I wouldn't have thought that it could be considered allegorical at least not in the strictest sense of the word. I did wonder if we were supposed to think of the gods as being good (i.e. like the God of the Bible) or as being not so good (like the gods of Greek mythology).

Finally, the important question; Did you like this book?

Yes, I liked it but not as much as the Chronicles. I like that Orual was saved in the end but I don't like not knowing the end of that sentence. I felt like I didn't know enough to understand it fully. I don't know maybe I'm thinking too hard. I really enjoyed the writing style (first person, complaint against the gods, etc.), but it was also frustrating at times because I wasn't sure where the truth was.

Random thought:
As I was trying to answer some of the questions along the way, I would look at them and wonder about them and how anyone would even think of such a question, then later in the book the questions would make a lot more sense.