Son of the Revolution

Liang Heng’s memoir recounts the turbulent childhood and adolescence of a young Chinese man during the Cultural Revolution. Born into a family of intellectuals, he was sent to the countryside to work in the fields, a period marked by physical hardship, ideological indoctrination, and the erosion of traditional family values. The narrative captures the disorientation of a generation caught between revolutionary fervor and the collapse of social norms, offering a personal lens on a macro-historical catastrophe.

The writing style is direct and unadorned, reflecting the stark reality of the era. Liang Heng documents the psychological impact of the movement on his identity, from his early enthusiasm for the Red Guards to his later disillusionment. The book serves as a vital primary source for understanding the human cost of political extremism in 1960s and 1970s China, blending personal memory with historical observation.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.