Third Wish
Encyclopedia
Third Wish is the first novel by inspirational writer Robert Fulghum
. In his own words, it is the kind of novel that he personally would like to read. Third Wish was first published in Czech
by the Prague
publisher (ARGO), and was released in November 2004, as supported by a personal appearance by Fulghum. Each individual copy was packaged in a box of cedar wood
. A sequel
was planned for 2006, and a third novel, called Third Wish: Granted, has now been written and published as well.
Third Wish was published in English as a 5-volume, 2-book set in February, 2009.
The publisher book description summarizes the story as follows: "In fairy tale
s, the third wish is the last one left when the first wish was foolish, and the second wish was used to undo the first wish. Now the remaining wish must be used wisely and well--with the help of co-conspirators. The main thread of the story--like Ariadne
’s string guiding Theseus
into the labyrinth
with the Minotaur
--begins at a table on a terrace on the Greek Island of Crete
(one chapter is about Olive tree of Vouves
), winds its way into the center and back out to the same table, passing through Greece, Japan, France, England, and Seattle. Its main characters are Alice, Max-Pol, Aleko, Wonko, Zenkichi, Polydora, Alice-Alice, and Dog. Woven into the fabric of the novel are cultural history, art, philosophy, archeology, poetry, theater and music. The mode of the novel is contained in the words Slowly, Surprise, and Witness. More than anything else, Third Wish is a long love story--not in the usual sense--but the story of people who love life and will go to great lengths to find a flourishing Way onward."
Robert Fulghum
Robert Lee Fulghum is an American author, primarily of short essays.He has worked as a Unitarian Universalist minister .During this same period he taught drawing,...
. In his own words, it is the kind of novel that he personally would like to read. Third Wish was first published in Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
by the Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
publisher (ARGO), and was released in November 2004, as supported by a personal appearance by Fulghum. Each individual copy was packaged in a box of cedar wood
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
. A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
was planned for 2006, and a third novel, called Third Wish: Granted, has now been written and published as well.
Third Wish was published in English as a 5-volume, 2-book set in February, 2009.
The publisher book description summarizes the story as follows: "In fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s, the third wish is the last one left when the first wish was foolish, and the second wish was used to undo the first wish. Now the remaining wish must be used wisely and well--with the help of co-conspirators. The main thread of the story--like Ariadne
Ariadne
Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
’s string guiding Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
into the labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
with the Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
--begins at a table on a terrace on the Greek Island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
(one chapter is about Olive tree of Vouves
Olive tree of Vouves
The Olive tree of Vouves is an olive tree in the village of Ano Vouves in Municipality of Kolymbari in Chania Prefecture in Crete in Greece. It is known to be the oldest olive tree in the world and still produces olives today. The use of tree ring analysis has proven the tree to be at least 2000...
), winds its way into the center and back out to the same table, passing through Greece, Japan, France, England, and Seattle. Its main characters are Alice, Max-Pol, Aleko, Wonko, Zenkichi, Polydora, Alice-Alice, and Dog. Woven into the fabric of the novel are cultural history, art, philosophy, archeology, poetry, theater and music. The mode of the novel is contained in the words Slowly, Surprise, and Witness. More than anything else, Third Wish is a long love story--not in the usual sense--but the story of people who love life and will go to great lengths to find a flourishing Way onward."