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Quick answer: If you loved Till We Have Faces, read Circe, A Thousand Ships, Ariadne, The Penelopiad and The Silence of the Girls. All retell Greek myths from the viewpoint of women the stories usually ignore.
C. S. Lewis's 1956 novel retells the myth of Cupid and Psyche through Orual, Psyche's ugly older sister, who tells her side of the story. It is dark, complex and psychological, and quite different from his Narnia books. The books below offer similar retellings, with mythic settings and women at the centre.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circe | Madeline Miller | Adult | witch of the Odyssey |
| The Song of Achilles | Madeline Miller | Adult | Trojan War |
| A Thousand Ships | Natalie Haynes | Adult | women of Troy |
| Ariadne | Jennifer Saint | Adult | Minotaur retold |
| The Penelopiad | Margaret Atwood | Adult | wit and rage |
| Lavinia | Ursula K. Le Guin | Adult | Roman epic |
| The Silence of the Girls | Pat Barker | Adult | the Iliad's captives |
| Mythos | Stephen Fry | Adult | witty myths |
| The Odyssey | Homer | Adult | translated by Emily Wilson |
| Metamorphoses | Ovid | Adult | myth source |
| The Golden Ass | Apuleius | Adult | source of Psyche |
| Mythology | Edith Hamilton | Adult | classic guide |
| Stone Blind | Natalie Haynes | Adult | Medusa's story |
| Pandora's Jar | Natalie Haynes | Adult | women in myth |
| Medusa | Jessie Burton | Adult | short retelling |
1. Circe by Madeline Miller
The goddess Circe tells her story, from exile to power. Lush, thoughtful and popular.
Best for: witch of the Odyssey.
2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Patroclus tells the story of his love for Achilles. Lyrical and heartbreaking.
Best for: Trojan War.
3. A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
The women of the Trojan War tell their own stories. Witty and sharp.
Best for: women of Troy.
4. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne's story of love, betrayal and her sister Phaedra. Emotional and well paced.
Best for: Minotaur retold.
5. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Penelope tells the Odyssey from the underworld. Short, sharp and funny.
Best for: wit and rage.
6. Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
A princess in Virgil's Aeneid tells her story. Calm and beautiful.
Best for: Roman epic.
7. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
The Trojan War told through Briseis. Harsh and powerful.
Best for: the Iliad's captives.
8. Mythos by Stephen Fry
Fry retells the Greek myths in a warm, funny voice. A good primer.
Best for: witty myths.
9. The Odyssey by Homer
The classic journey home, in a clear modern translation. Fast and fresh.
Best for: translated by Emily Wilson.
10. Metamorphoses by Ovid
A collection of transformations that inspired countless retellings. Playful and strange.
Best for: myth source.
11. The Golden Ass by Apuleius
A man turned into a donkey, with the tale of Cupid and Psyche inside. Lively and bawdy.
Best for: source of Psyche.
12. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
A clear overview of Greek, Roman and Norse myths. Useful background.
Best for: classic guide.
13. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
The Gorgon Medusa tells her version. Sharp and moving.
Best for: Medusa's story.
14. Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes
Haynes looks at the women of Greek myth. Smart and funny.
Best for: women in myth.
15. Medusa by Jessie Burton
The Gorgon Medusa as a young woman. Short and lyrical.
Best for: short retelling.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Till We Have Faces: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more retellings choose Circe, A Thousand Ships or Ariadne. For sharp, short books pick The Penelopiad or Medusa. For the sources read The Odyssey, Metamorphoses and The Golden Ass. For guides try Mythos or Edith Hamilton. Till We Have Faces is slower than most retellings, so patient readers will find these books easier to enjoy. Reading Apuleius's tale of Cupid and Psyche before Till We Have Faces shows how Lewis changed the story. Lewis reportedly considered it his best work, though it was never as popular as his children's stories. Readers who enjoy slow, psychological novels may prefer it, while those who want faster myth retellings may enjoy Circe or A Thousand Ships first. A good annotated edition can help, and reading Apuleius's original tale will make the changes clear. Audiobooks can also help with the long, reflective passages. A quick tip: read a short summary of Cupid and Psyche first so you can spot Lewis's changes as you go.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Till We Have Faces about?
A retelling of Cupid and Psyche told by Psyche's older sister, Orual.
Who wrote it?
C. S. Lewis.
When was it published?
1956.
Is it like Narnia?
No. It is darker, more adult and more psychological.
Do I need to know the myth?
No, but it helps.
Is it hard to read?
It is slower and denser than Lewis's children's books.
What genre is it?
Myth retelling and literary fantasy.
What should I read next?
Try Circe or A Thousand Ships.
Is Till We Have Faces religious?
It deals with questions of belief and the gods, but it is primarily a myth retelling about love, jealousy and identity.
Can I read it without knowing Lewis's other books?
Yes. It stands alone.
Is it a long book?
No, it runs to about 300 pages in most editions.
Is Orual a sympathetic narrator?
That is part of the book's challenge, since she is both sympathetic and unreliable.