The book is a raw and unflinching portrayal of life inside a New York City prison, where the racial and social hierarchies of the inmates are stark and brutal. The narrative centers around the arrival of a new prisoner, who is accused of a heinous crime that makes him the target of the other inmates' scorn and violence. Known as "Short Eyes" to the prison population—a slang term for a child molester—the man's presence exposes the complex web of morality, survival, and power struggles that define the prison ecosystem. As tensions rise, the characters are forced to confront their own demons and the harsh realities of the penal system.

The 9823rd greatest book of all time