Son of the Revolution: An Autobiography

This book was fascinating and I could hardly put it down. It certainly provided a broad picture of growing up in China during the cultural revolution and all that entailed. I am not a scholar but the book showed me how terrible Communism really is. There is no individualism and the government even monitors your thinking if they can. I can't imagine living in a situation where I would have to watch every word I spoke and everything I did just in case someone turned me in. So sad to see how hard people like the farmers worked and yet they didn't have enough to eat as most everything had to go elsewhere. They were monitored for every little thing. This young man is truly heroic as he has survived. The pain he and his family experienced under this horrible system is unimagineable. Mr. Heng was endowed and is endowed with amazing character, especially given the fact that the people over him tried to tear it down on a daily basis. I can't imagine having the strength of character to survive in this climate. The Chinese are such hard workers. Turn them loose and they work hard and make a living. In this system they weren't allowed to work for themselves at all. Thankfully, this has changed. Let's hope the government eventually becomes more democratic along with the economic freedom that has been gained. Bless Mr. Heng and his wife Judith Shapiro. I look forward to another book.

As a novel, Liang Heng's memoir is very engaging and readable. You can read this simply for pleasure, as a story of overcoming adversity, dealing with family problems, finding love, and exploring human nature of China's recent past. It is rarely boring and often times surprising. As a historical account, this book offers an in depth look at China in the 1950s through the 80s, not just from a high-level view (who, what, when, where), but from a on-the-street level (why). Exploring the motivations of the Chinese people is, in my view, much more important than just learning the basic facts. It's such a incredible and horrifying series of events that you really need to see the human side of things to understand it fully, and this book provides thoughtful and intimate look into this aspect of history. The story of the Cultural Revolution may seem familiar if you've seen any movies or read any books about dystopian societies, but it is all the more shocking and affecting to see it play out in the real world. If you have any interest in Chinese history or the affects of Communism, or want to read the story of someone's incredible life, Son of the Revolution is an amazing book. My one caution is to try to keep in mind at all times the perspective this book is being written from. Don't take Liang Heng's account as the final word on the subject, but rather, use it as a tool for building a better understanding of China.

This was an excellent book that showed the effects of the 'Cultural Revolution' from the perspective of individuals. The book does not cover the movements in an overall view but keeps with the viewpoint of the individual. I think it would help to have a basic understanding of Chinese history during this era, to fully appreciate what is going on in this more detailed and finer viewpoint. Liang learns of the contradictions in this "socialist" society. He does not demonize the Chinese people but shows how they struggled in creating a new society. There are many powerful images of his personal relationships. The main theme I picked up on was how misguided policies fostered a corrupt culture that was exploited on the ground level, often by people who thought that they were doing what was best for their country.

I loved this book. I had to read it for one of my college classes and wasn't too excited first, but it ended up being one of my favorite memoirs I've ever read. It's very well written and had no trouble keeping my attention throughout. I would definitely recommend this to read, as it will really open your eyes to the real life of someone growing up under Mao.

I use this book in a high school history course during a unit about China's transitions from Mao to modernity. Although it's a little slow to get started many of the students have found that it hooks them into the topic and prepares them better to learn from traditional coursebooks.

Very important book for all Americans to read. Find out what socialism is really like. This book is a real life story of the son of parents who rebelled against the Chinese government. It is a page turning biography that explains the phrase "socialism looks good on paper but doesn't work in practice"

The author tells a very interesting perspective on the Mao Years in China, but its also very disterbing in many ways. Do no read if you have a broken family and are sensitive about it.

If you feel like you don't understand the Cultural Revolution, read this book.