In all of its previous versions, the story of Psyche and Cupid has been, like the stories of Eve and Pandora, about a lack of faith. Wooed by Cupid and installed in a shining palace, Psyche was warned that she must never try to look at her husband’s face. Since he came only at night, this was not difficult, and Psyche was the happiest girl in the world. But her sisters were jealous, and at their goading, she lit a candle one night. Dazzled by what she saw, she did not notice a drop of hot wax drop onto her sleeping god’s arm. It awakened him, and for her punishment, Psyche was banished to a life of desolate wandering until the gods finally forgave her.
The version which C. S. Lewis’ new novel offers is not only about a lack of faith, but an abuse of love. Psyche’s sister, Orual, is not at all jealous. On the contrary, she loves Psyche with all her heart. But when she visits what Psyche rapturously describes as her castle, she sees only a rocky mountain top. Psyche, she realizes, is out of her mind, and the secret lover is only a vicious woodsman who is taking advantage of a demented girl. It is in a desperate attempt to shock Psyche back into her sanity that Orual urges her to light her candle, and when a horrified Psyche runs away into the night and is never seen again, Orual’s life is ruined. It is here that Mr. Lewis’ story really begins.
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