Editor's Note:

"Read ten thousand books,mk and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at [email protected]

Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

Photo: IC

My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo, written by the famous French writer Alexandre Dumas. Reading the book was an unforgettable experience for me. The novel, filled with adventure, life's setbacks, and justice, captivated me from the very first chapter. However, the more I dived into the book, the more I realized that it is a story about one's hopes and the pursuit of justice. 

The novel follows Edmond Dantès, a young and ambitious sailor whose promising future is destroyed when he is betrayed by those he trusts. While Edmond is full of hope for the future, he is framed by Danglars and Fernand. He was also wrongfully imprisoned and forced to endure years of isolation and despair. 

Edmond meets an old priest in prison, who teaches him various knowledge and helps him clear his mind, enabling Edmond to understand who framed him. Edmond grasps knowledge in literature, science, and strategic thinking, and those things help him a lot in his life. 

However, besides these intellectual treasures, Edmond's friend reveals the existence of a hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. With renewed purpose, Edmond executes a daring escape, retrieves the treasure, and reinvents himself as the enigmatic and influential Count of Monte Cristo, setting the stage for his calculated quest for justice.

In my opinion, what makes this novel so compelling is Edmond's transformation. At the beginning, he is an innocent young man, full of dreams and love for his fiancée. However, after experiencing suffering, he becomes a rather cold man who dedicates his life to revenge. 

His planning and execution of justice are chilling to me as a reader. As he punishes those who wronged him, we as readers are left wondering: Is revenge truly satisfying? Can it bring peace?

One of the aspects I found most interesting was how Edmond's character evolves. He has not allowed his true self to always be bitter. 

He eventually realizes that revenge does not necessarily bring happiness. He sees the consequences of his actions and learns that justice is not about destruction, but about balance. 

This realization makes the ending of the novel powerful. He ultimately chooses to embrace a future of hope and redemption, and this is also where I saw hope from reading the novel. 

As a student reader, I see this novel explore deep themes like justice, face and generosity, words I know how to spell with letters but might not always know their true deep meanings. 

After reading this book, I understood a lot. The philosophy behind forgiveness was time can be the best medicine to get rid of resentment. Forgiveness also does not come in one way since one forgives someone else is also forgiving himself from always thinking about not forgiving. 

Wounds will heal with time, and we can also gain powerful strength. There is too much gratitude, resentment, love, and hatred in the world. We should learn to forgive and enter a broader life. The meaning of life is also condensed in the last chapter of this book, which is waiting and hope.

Also, Dumas' writing inspired me. He creates complex characters, each representing different human desires and flaws. Some of them are symbols of greed and evil and some others are symbols of peace and kindness. 

I liked the book very much, but the novel is quite long, and some sections felt slow. At times, I wished Edmond would act faster in his revenge instead of waiting years to execute his plans. Despite this, the novel's depth and emotional impact made it worth reading. The story teaches valuable lessons about patience, resilience, and the true meaning of justice.

The author is a student at Beijing Wenhui Middle School