diff --git a/values.go b/values.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52209da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/values.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+var (
+	start_string     byte = '+'
+	start_error      byte = '-'
+	start_integer    byte = ':'
+	start_bulkstring byte = '$'
+	start_array      byte = '*'
+)
+
+type value interface {
+}
+
+type simpleString string
+
+func readValue(b []byte) (value, error) {
+	if len(b) < 2 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to read redis protocol value: input is too small")
+	}
+	switch b[0] {
+	case start_string:
+		return readString(b[1:])
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to read redis protocol value: illegal start character: %c", b[0])
+	}
+}
+
+func readString(b []byte) (value, error) {
+	return simpleString(strings.Trim(string(b), "\r\n")), nil
+}
diff --git a/values_test.go b/values_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e5c97f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/values_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+    "testing"
+)
+
+func TestSimpleString(t *testing.T) {
+    s, err := readValue([]byte(`+hello`))
+    if err != nil {
+        t.Errorf("bad input: %v", err)
+    }
+    if s != simpleString("hello") {
+        t.Errorf("expected 'hello', got '%s'", s)
+    }
+}
+