Abridged vs Unabridged – What’s the Difference?

I’ve been trying to get into audiobooks lately. I have a subscription to Scribd and have also been using Audible and Hoopla to listen to them.

psst: if you aren’t already subscribed to Audible, click here to get one month free of Audible Romance. 

Something I’ve begun to notice is that many of the audiobooks I come across, particularly long fantasy and self-help books, are that they are abridged. I avoid abridged books at all times.

A few days ago I was talking to a friend about being frustrated that one of the books I was trying to find an audiobook for I could only find an abridged version, and she asked me what the difference between abridged and unabridged was. So, I thought it’d explain it here on the blog as well.

When a book is abridged, it’s a shortened, more concise version of the book. Someone reading or listening to an abridged version of a book will still understand the plot and themes of the book, but might miss out on the smaller scenes.

An abridged book is sometimes a great choice for students who don’t have enough time to listen to the much-longer original version of a book or to people who want to understand a book in a short period of time.

Unabridged, however, is the original, full-length version of the book. This is the route I always go, and for people reading for fun, it’s probably the best option.

It’s pretty simple, but knowing the difference between abridged and unabridged is important when seeking out literature.

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Do you prefer abridged or unabridged books? Let me know in the comments!

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