一九八九年，劉曉波因參與了「六．四」天安門學生運動被捕，遭羈押年餘後，寫下《悔罪書》而獲釋。但重獲自由並未讓這位溫厚的知識分子心靈平靜，「各種問號折磨著我，儘管在表面上我的生活是平靜的，但內心深處的掙扎一刻也未停止過。而最根本的問題是：我是否有足夠的勇氣和智慧面對自己，為自己的所作所為、所思所想負責？」面對亡靈、面對獄中人、面對中國內外關於六四的彌天大謊、面對自己的六四經歷和內心世界，劉曉波別無選擇，「自白」是他走出心獄的唯一出路。
在書中，他試圖揭開「六．四」事件的所有謊言與矛盾。他嚴厲地自我剖析、究責與悔罪；他虛妄與真誠之間的反覆辯證；他批判學生領袖的爭權與功利，給讀者提供了看待學運的另一種思考視角；他那通透赤裸的直白描述，刻畫出翔實一部六四回憶錄與懺悔錄。
In 1989, Liu Xiaobo (Nobel peace prize Laureate in 2010) was arrested and detailed for a year for participating in the "June 4th" Tiananmen student movement. But regaining his freedom did not calm the heart of this kind-hearted intellectual. "All kinds of question marks tortured me. Although my life was peaceful on the surface, the struggle deep inside never stopped for a moment. And the most fundamental thing is that my life is peaceful on the surface." The question is: Do I have enough courage and wisdom to face myself and take responsibility for what I do and think? "Facing the dead, facing the people in prison, and facing the big lies about June 4th both inside and outside China, Faced with his June Fourth experience and inner world, Liu Xiaobo had no choice. "Confession" was his only way out of his inner prison.
In the book, he attempts to uncover all the lies and contradictions surrounding the June 4 incident. His severe self-analysis, accountability and repentance; his repeated dialectics between falsehood and sincerity; his criticism of the struggle for power and utilitarianism of student leaders, providing readers with another perspective on the student movement; his transparent and naked The straightforward description creates a detailed memoir and confession of June 4th.
