Audiobooks are available at reduced gold full versions. Simply put, the abridged versions are shortened versions of the original book, while the unabridged versions are complete versions of the book.
More about unabridged versions
Unabridged audiobooks are those in which the narrator reads every word of the original text. Needless to say, these are longer versions. Listeners will choose this format if they must hear every word in the book. and they have plenty of time and patience available to listen.
Since a spoken page takes much longer than a read page, it will take longer to listen to a whole book than to read it. This is especially true if you are used to scanning and reading text and not reading every word. An audiobook that can last 7 hours in abridged format can last more than 30 hours in full format.
More about abbreviated versions
Abridged audiobooks are those in which the recorded text is made up of only key parts of the written book, but is still designed to flow into an enjoyable story. Subplots and lengthy descriptive scenes can be left out.
Obviously, you don’t need to set aside as much time to listen to the abridged version of an audiobook compared to its longer unabridged version.
Cost considerations of the two formats
If you’re buying your audio recordings on CD, the unabridged version will take up more discs, while the shortened version will take up fewer discs. These additional disks can increase the cost. Also, since CDs cannot be downloaded from the Internet, they must be physically mailed to you, the buyer. Therefore, there may be shipping and handling (S&H) costs, which may be a bit higher for the larger number of CDs needed for complete books.
Also, unabridged works sometimes cost more due to additional production costs. That is, the recording sessions are longer and the narrator must be paid for speaking for more hours, etc. However, if you get your audiobooks in MP3 download format, there may be no difference in costs.
The bottom line
The bottom line is that whether you choose abridged or full audiobooks, the choice is really your personal decision.
