Plot Summary

Short Eyes

Miguel Piñero
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Short Eyes

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1974

Book Brief

Miguel Piñero

Short Eyes

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1974
Book Details
Pages

144

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

New York City • 1970s

Publication Year

1974

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Miguel Piñero’s dramatic play Short Eyes follows a middle-class white man who enters a predominantly Black and Latino prison after being accused of child molestation, causing tensions among the inmates. The play depicts their complex relationships and attitudes toward authority within the harsh environment of a New York detention facility in the 1970s. Topics include harm to children and violence.

Gritty

Dark

Unnerving

Melancholic

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

4.2

378 ratings

70%

Loved it

21%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Miguel Piñero's Short Eyes is widely praised for its raw, unflinching portrayal of life in a New York City jail, illustrating intense themes of power and survival with authentic dialogue. While some critics find its graphic content and bleakness unsettling, others commend its brutal honesty and Piñero's ability to capture the voices of marginalized individuals.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Short Eyes?

Readers who appreciate gritty, unflinching portrayals of prison life and social issues, akin to those in The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King or Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean, will find Miguel Piñero's Short Eyes compelling. Mature audiences interested in stark realism and social critique will be particularly drawn to this work.

4.2

378 ratings

70%

Loved it

21%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

144

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

New York City • 1970s

Publication Year

1974

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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