Waiting for the Great Pumpkin

Book excerpt: Linus and his wait for the Great Pumpkin have been a pop culture touchstone for nearly 50 years thanks to the animated television special ("I got a rock"), and it all started in the classic Peanuts strips (1959-1962) collected in this affordable, fun-sized gift book. Linus's proselytizing that on Halloween, the Great Pumpkin rises from the pumpkin patch and travels the world bringing presents to good little girls and boys are derided by his sister Lucy, laughed at by Charlie Brown, met with skepticism by baby Sally, and even causes "denominational squabbling" over who's better, the Great Pumpkin or Santa Claus. Year after year, Linus faces his persecution and inevitable disappointment with either blind faith or Quixotic perseverance. Charles M. Schulz's homage to the power of idealism and belief makes these some of the most beloved comic strips of all time.