diff --git a/parse/lex/lex.go b/parse/lex/lex.go
index 828afc2..a1e95e7 100644
--- a/parse/lex/lex.go
+++ b/parse/lex/lex.go
@@ -40,6 +40,18 @@ type Token struct {
 	Val  string
 }
 
+// Returns the token's value as an error, or nil if the token is not of type
+// Err. If the token is nil returns io.EOF, since that is the ostensible meaning
+func (t *Token) AsError() error {
+	if t == nil {
+		return io.EOF
+	}
+	if t.Type != Err {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return errors.New(t.Val)
+}
+
 var (
 	errInvalidUTF8 = errors.New("invalid utf8 character")
 )
@@ -96,10 +108,9 @@ func (l *Lexer) Next() *Token {
 
 func (l *Lexer) emit(t TokenType) {
 	str := l.outbuf.String()
-	fmt.Printf("emitting %q\n", str)
 	l.ch <- &Token{
 		Type: t,
-		Val: l.outbuf.String(),
+		Val: str,
 	}
 	l.outbuf.Reset()
 }
@@ -151,11 +162,9 @@ func lexWhitespace(l *Lexer) lexerFunc {
 	}
 
 	if unicode.IsSpace(r) {
-		fmt.Printf("skipping %q because it's a space\n", r)
 		return lexWhitespace
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("not skipping %q\n", r)
 	l.outbuf.WriteRune(r)
 	
 	switch r {
@@ -192,7 +201,6 @@ func lexQuotedString(l *Lexer) lexerFunc {
 
 	if r == '"' && buf[len(buf) - 2] != '\\' {
 		l.emit(QuotedString)
-		fmt.Println("emitting quoted string, parsing whitespace")
 		return lexWhitespace
 	}
 	return lexQuotedString
@@ -201,7 +209,6 @@ func lexQuotedString(l *Lexer) lexerFunc {
 func lexBareString(l *Lexer) lexerFunc {
 	r, err := l.peek()
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("got err %s in peek\n", err)
 		l.emit(BareString)
 		return l.err(err)
 	}
@@ -212,7 +219,6 @@ func lexBareString(l *Lexer) lexerFunc {
 	}
 
 	if _, err = l.readRune(); err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("got err %s in read\n", err)
 		l.emit(BareString)
 		return l.err(err)
 	}
diff --git a/parse/parse.go b/parse/parse.go
index 5956e69..3243032 100644
--- a/parse/parse.go
+++ b/parse/parse.go
@@ -1,4 +1,139 @@
 package parse
 
 import (
+	"io"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/mediocregopher/ginger/parse/lex"
+	"github.com/mediocregopher/ginger/seq"
+	"github.com/mediocregopher/ginger/types"
 )
+
+const int_bits = int(unsafe.Sizeof(int(0)) * 8)
+
+var closers = map[string]string{
+	"(": ")",
+	"[": "]",
+	"{": "}",
+}
+
+// The lexer only indicates a bare string, but technically an integer or a float
+// is a bare string so we must try and convert to one of those first
+func parseBareString(tok *lex.Token) types.Elem {
+	if i, err := strconv.ParseInt(tok.Val, 10, int_bits); err != nil {
+		return types.GoType{int(i)}
+	}
+
+	if i64, err := strconv.ParseInt(tok.Val, 10, 64); err != nil {
+		return types.GoType{int64(i64)}
+	}
+
+	if f32, err := strconv.ParseInt(tok.Val, 10, 32); err != nil {
+		return types.GoType{float32(f32)}
+	}
+
+	if f64, err := strconv.ParseInt(tok.Val, 10, 64); err != nil {
+		return types.GoType{float64(f64)}
+	}
+
+	if tok.Val[0] != ':' {
+		return types.GoType{":"+tok.Val}
+	}
+
+	return types.GoType{tok.Val}
+}
+
+func parseQuotedString(tok *lex.Token) (types.Elem, error) {
+	s, err := strconv.Unquote(tok.Val)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return types.GoType{s}, nil
+}
+
+type Parser struct {
+	l *lex.Lexer
+}
+
+func NewParser(r io.Reader) *Parser {
+	p := Parser{
+		l: lex.NewLexer(r),
+	}
+	return &p
+}
+
+func (p *Parser) ReadElem() (types.Elem, error) {
+	tok := p.l.Next()
+	return p.parseToken(tok)
+}
+
+func (p *Parser) parseToken(tok *lex.Token) (types.Elem, error) {
+	if tok == nil {
+		return nil, io.EOF
+	}
+
+	switch tok.Type {
+	case lex.Err:
+		return nil, tok.AsError()
+	case lex.BareString:
+		return parseBareString(tok), nil
+	case lex.QuotedString:
+		return parseQuotedString(tok)
+	case lex.Open:
+		series, err := p.readUntil(closers[tok.Val])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if tok.Val == "(" {
+			return seq.NewList(series...), nil
+		} else if tok.Val == "{" {
+			if len(series) % 2 != 0 {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("hash must have even number of elements")
+			}
+			kvs := make([]*seq.KV, 0, len(series) / 2)
+			for i := 0; i < len(series); i += 2 {
+				kv := seq.KV{series[i], series[i+1]}
+				kvs = append(kvs, &kv)
+			}
+			return seq.NewHashMap(kvs...), nil
+		}
+
+		panic("should never get here")
+	
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unexpected %q", tok.Val)
+	}
+}
+
+
+func (p *Parser) readUntil(closer string) ([]types.Elem, error) {
+	series := make([]types.Elem, 0, 4)
+	for {
+		tok := p.l.Next()
+		switch err := tok.AsError(); err {
+		case nil:
+		case io.EOF:
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unexpected EOF")
+		default:
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		if tok.Type != lex.Close {
+			e, err := p.parseToken(tok)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			series = append(series, e)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if tok.Val != closer {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unexpected %q", tok.Val)
+		}
+
+		return series, nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/parse/parse_test.go b/parse/parse_test.go
index e3f6767..aa4f6a4 100644
--- a/parse/parse_test.go
+++ b/parse/parse_test.go
@@ -2,4 +2,11 @@ package parse
 
 import (
 	. "testing"
+
+	//"github.com/mediocregopher/ginger/seq"
+	//"github.com/mediocregopher/ginger/types"
 )
+
+func TestParseBareString(t *T) {
+	t.Fatal()
+}