diff --git a/pysnooper/tracer.py b/pysnooper/tracer.py
index d6c0556..3bfab35 100644
--- a/pysnooper/tracer.py
+++ b/pysnooper/tracer.py
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ def get_shortish_repr(item):
 def get_local_reprs(frame, variables=()):
     result = {key: get_shortish_repr(value) for key, value
                                                      in frame.f_locals.items()}
-    for variable, code in variables:
+    for variable in variables:
         try:
-            result[variable] = eval(code, frame.f_globals, frame.f_locals)
+            result[variable] = get_shortish_repr(
+                eval(variable, frame.f_globals, frame.f_locals)
+            )
         except Exception:
             pass
     return result
@@ -117,11 +119,8 @@ class Tracer:
         self._write = write
         self.truncate = truncate
         if isinstance(variables, six.string_types):
-            variables = [variables]
-        self.variables = [
-            (v, compile(v, target_code_object.co_filename, 'eval'))
-            for v in variables
-        ]
+            variables = (variables,)
+        self.variables = variables
         self.frame_to_old_local_reprs = collections.defaultdict(lambda: {})
         self.frame_to_local_reprs = collections.defaultdict(lambda: {})
         self.depth = depth
diff --git a/tests/test_pysnooper.py b/tests/test_pysnooper.py
index 1913540..ea4ae4b 100644
--- a/tests/test_pysnooper.py
+++ b/tests/test_pysnooper.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def test_variables():
 
     @pysnooper.snoop(variables=(
             'foo.x',
-            'io.__name__', 
+            'io.__name__',
             'len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")',
     ))
     def my_function():
@@ -71,22 +71,22 @@ def test_variables():
         output,
         (
             VariableEntry('Foo'),
-            VariableEntry('io.__name__', 'io'),
+            VariableEntry('io.__name__', "'io'"),
             CallEntry('def my_function():'),
             LineEntry('foo = Foo()'),
             VariableEntry('foo'),
             VariableEntry('foo.x', '2'),
-            VariableEntry('len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")', 6),
+            VariableEntry('len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")', '6'),
             LineEntry(),
             VariableEntry('i', '0'),
             LineEntry(),
             VariableEntry('foo.x', '4'),
-            VariableEntry('len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")', 12),
+            VariableEntry('len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")', '12'),
             LineEntry(),
             VariableEntry('i', '1'),
             LineEntry(),
             VariableEntry('foo.x', '16'),
-            VariableEntry('len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")', 48),
+            VariableEntry('len(foo.__dict__["x"] * "abc")', '48'),
             LineEntry(),
             ReturnEntry(),
             ReturnValueEntry('None')
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index e1a6ae0..c4947b7 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class VariableEntry(_BaseValueEntry):
 
     def _check_value(self, value):
         if self.value is not None:
-            return value == str(self.value)
+            return value == self.value
         elif self.value_regex is not None:
             return self.value_regex.match(value)
         else: