diff --git a/capnp/capnp.pyx b/capnp/capnp.pyx
index 6d167be..c9f2561 100644
--- a/capnp/capnp.pyx
+++ b/capnp/capnp.pyx
@@ -163,9 +163,12 @@ cdef class _DynamicListReader:
     def __str__(self):
         return printListReader(self.thisptr).flatten().cStr()
 
+    cpdef _short_str(self):
+        return strListReader(self.thisptr).cStr()
+
     def __repr__(self):
         # TODO:  Print the list type.
-        return '<capnp list reader %s>' % strListReader(self.thisptr).cStr()
+        return '<capnp list reader %s>' % self._short_str()
 
 cdef class _DynamicResizableListBuilder:
     """Class for building growable Cap'n Proto Lists
@@ -308,9 +311,12 @@ cdef class _DynamicListBuilder:
     def __str__(self):
         return printListBuilder(self.thisptr).flatten().cStr()
 
+    cpdef _short_str(self):
+        return strListBuilder(self.thisptr).cStr()
+
     def __repr__(self):
         # TODO:  Print the list type.
-        return '<capnp list builder %s>' % strListBuilder(self.thisptr).cStr()
+        return '<capnp list builder %s>' % self._short_str()
 
 cdef class _List_NestedNode_Reader:
     cdef List[C_Node.NestedNode].Reader thisptr
@@ -534,8 +540,11 @@ cdef class _DynamicStructReader:
     def __str__(self):
         return printStructReader(self.thisptr).flatten().cStr()
 
+    cpdef _short_str(self):
+        return strStructReader(self.thisptr).cStr()
+
     def __repr__(self):
-        return '<%s reader %s>' % (self.schema.node.displayName, strStructReader(self.thisptr).cStr())
+        return '<%s reader %s>' % (self.schema.node.displayName, self._short_str())
 
     def to_dict(self):
         return _to_dict(self)
@@ -751,8 +760,11 @@ cdef class _DynamicStructBuilder:
     def __str__(self):
         return printStructBuilder(self.thisptr).flatten().cStr()
 
+    cpdef _short_str(self):
+        return strStructBuilder(self.thisptr).cStr()
+
     def __repr__(self):
-        return '<%s builder %s>' % (self.schema.node.displayName, strStructBuilder(self.thisptr).cStr())
+        return '<%s builder %s>' % (self.schema.node.displayName, self._short_str)
 
     def to_dict(self):
         return _to_dict(self)
diff --git a/scripts/capnp_test_pycapnp.py b/scripts/capnp_test_pycapnp.py
index 496e4e0..617a8ef 100755
--- a/scripts/capnp_test_pycapnp.py
+++ b/scripts/capnp_test_pycapnp.py
@@ -7,15 +7,8 @@ import test_capnp
 
 import sys
 
-def format_decode(val):
-    val = val.replace('\n ', '')
-    val = val.replace('( ', '(')
-    val = val.replace(' )', ')')
-
-    return val
-
 def decode(name):
-    print format_decode(str(getattr(test_capnp, name)))
+    print getattr(test_capnp, name)._short_str()
 
 def encode(name):
     val = getattr(test_capnp, name)