diff --git a/src/parser.jl b/src/parser.jl
index 9523726..76e0132 100644
--- a/src/parser.jl
+++ b/src/parser.jl
@@ -1,29 +1,29 @@
-struct Parser{T}
+mutable struct Parser{T}
     tokens::T
     substitutions::Dict{String, String}
     records::Dict{String, Dict{String, String}}
-    line::Ref{Int}
+    line::Int
+    bracket_counter::Int
 end
 
 Base.eltype(p::Parser) = eltype(p.tokens)
 Base.one(p::Parser) = eltype(p)("")
 
-Parser(tokens::T, substitutions, records, line) where T =
-    Parser{T}(tokens, substitutions, records, line)
+Parser(tokens::T, substitutions, records, line, bracket_counter) where T =
+    Parser{T}(tokens, substitutions, records, line, bracket_counter)
 
-parse_text(text) = begin
-    tokens = matchall(r"[^\s\"#{}@,=]+|\s+|\"|#|{|}|@|,|=", text)
-    Parser(tokens, Dict{String, String}(), Dict{String, String}(), Ref(1))
-end
+Parser(tokens) = Parser(tokens, Dict{String, String}(), Dict{String, Dict{String, String}}(), 1, 0)
 
-location(parser) = "on line $(parser.line.x)"
+parse_text(text) = matchall(r"[^\s\"#{}@,=\\]+|\s+|\"|#|{|}|@|,|=|\\", text) |> Parser
+
+location(parser) = "on line $(parser.line)"
 
 next_token_default!(parser) =
     if isempty(parser.tokens)
         one(parser)
     else
         result = shift!(parser.tokens)
-        parser.line.x = parser.line.x + count(x -> x == '\n', result)
+        parser.line = parser.line + count(x -> x == '\n', result)
         if all(isspace, result)
             eltype(parser)(" ")
         else
@@ -56,29 +56,34 @@ expect(parser, result, expectation) =
 
 expect!(parser, expectation) = expect(parser, next_token!(parser, expectation), expectation)
 
-token_and_counter!(parser, bracket_counter = 1) = begin
-    token = next_token_with_space!(parser, "}")
+token_and_counter!(parser, eol) = begin
+    token = next_token_with_space!(parser, eol)
     if token == "{"
-        bracket_counter += 1
+        parser.bracket_counter += 1
     elseif token == "}"
-        bracket_counter -= 1
+        parser.bracket_counter -= 1
+    end
+    if parser.bracket_counter < 0
+        error("} without corresponding { $(location(parser))")
+    else
+        token
     end
-    token, bracket_counter
 end
 
 value!(parser, values = eltype(parser)[]) = begin
     token = next_token!(parser)
     if token == "\""
-        token = next_token_with_space!(parser, "\"")
-        while token != "\""
+        token = token_and_counter!(parser, "\"")
+        while !(token == "\"" && parser.bracket_counter == 0)
             push!(values, token)
-            token = next_token_with_space!(parser, "\"")
+            token = token_and_counter!(parser, "\" or }")
         end
     elseif token == "{"
-        token, counter = token_and_counter!(parser)
-        while counter > 0
+        parser.bracket_counter += 1
+        token = token_and_counter!(parser, "}")
+        while parser.bracket_counter > 0
             push!(values, token)
-            token, counter = token_and_counter!(parser, counter)
+            token = token_and_counter!(parser, "}")
         end
     else
         push!(values, getkey(parser.substitutions, token, String(token) ) )
@@ -125,7 +130,7 @@ julia> preamble, result = parse_bibtex(""\"
             @string{short = long}
             @a{b,
               c = {{c} c},
-              d = "d d",
+              d = "d {"} d",
               e = f # short
             }
             ""\");
@@ -140,7 +145,7 @@ julia> result["b"]["c"]
 "{c} c"
 
 julia> result["b"]["d"]
-"d d"
+"d {\\"} d"
 
 julia> result["b"]["e"]
 "f short"