TILL WE HAVE FACES is a novel by C.S. Lewis that retells the myth of Cupid and Psyche. There are variations of this myth, but (very) basically, it goes something like this: The goddess Venus becomes jealous of Psyche's astounding mortal beauty. She orders her son Cupid to fly to her and with the aid of his golden arrows, cause her to fall in love with a beast (or not to fall in love at all), but upon seeing her, Cupid falls in love with Psyche, and has her carried away to his palace. Cupid visits her each night for a little, you know, but asks that she never try to see his face, or discover his true form. After the prodding of Psyche's jealous sisters, who convince her that she may well have been sleeping with a monster, she does succeed in seeing his face one night, and discovers his identity and falls even more deeply in love with him. In the process though, Cupid wakes up and sees that Psyche has defied his order, and banishes her from his palace. Psyche seeks atonement and Venus gives her four impossible tasks that Psyche completes, and she and Cupid live happily ever after.
