On Abridged books
As readers you, I and all of us are exposed to different types of literature, from classical books to contemporary writing and what not. As a reader and book buyer one is confronted with the idea to either buy Abridged books or Unabridged books.
Usually in the eyes of readers and book collectors Abridged books are seen as something one should try to avoid as they are a misrepresentation and don’t carry much substance in them and don’t offer all what is there from the original work, but here I will layout a few arguments to why I think Abridged books should also be appreciated.
What does an Abridged book mean, an Abridged book is a condensed version of an original work, characterized by the removal or omission of certain parts. But why, while the aim might differ the sole purpose and goal is to make the work more accessible to a broader audience or to suit more specific purposes like media adaptations.
Why should you read an Abridged book, One of the most significant benefits of reading them is the time saved in consuming the content as society is moving forward to break new barriers, achieve more and reach great heights personal responsibilities also pile up, since we are social animals and do need to interact with others as-well hence time becomes a scarce resource with better management tips tricks and cut out things here and there we usually find time for reading and through those limited hours of the day burning through Unabridged books might turn out to be demotivating and a boring task, while in the long run the sense of accomplishment that one would reach after completing the 1500 page behemoth of a book is untouchable the idea of reading 10 pages a day or even 20 at your coffee break might turn out to be daunting.
But if you maybe….. stop ….. wasting 5 hours a day on social media then…. (not implying anything here)
Another case I really appreciate while reading Abridged books is how easily the core themes, narratives are laid out which means I don’t have to philosophize or sleep on a passage to understand what the author really meant there because its already done by the professionals, while arguments like well that will reduce your critical thinking abilities and make your lazy still apply its just great to find those, and another really appealing thing for me is, the appendixes and the references notes that come along with Abridged books don’t get me wrong here because most classic’s do come with introductory notes and quite handy bibliographies but when the book has been condensed or cut only to it’s essential to really clarify what was happening there could be with historical citations or words the author pulled from Latin which translates to something relevant through out the story. They also serve as great introductory points to lure the readers in to dive in and tackle the full work of the author head on. (sort of like a trailer )
Although abridged books have several merits, they are also accompanied by some significant shortcomings. Among the most significant is the inevitable loss of nuance, detail, and depth sacrificed with an abridged work. Omitting descriptive passages, secondary story-lines, and undertones of character interaction may reduce the richness and depth of the original and result in a less compelling and ultimately less satisfying reading experience. The readers will miss out on the detailed world-building, development of secondary characters, and the subtle thematic elements that contribute to the book’s overall effect. This loss can also be likened to taking the spices from a meal that one needs, hence resulting in an unsatisfactory and less appetizing taste.
Besides, the loss of context and supporting information in summary writing can sometimes result in misinterpretation or shallow understanding of the topic, particularly for non-fiction. Reading only the necessary tale or key point may result in the loss of evidence, examples, or bigger context essential for complete and deep understanding. It may result in a skewed evaluation of the value of the work or the voice of the writer.
While I did try to offer both the advantages of reading Abridged books (or mostly the advantages ) I did not want to skip over the major concerns and act as if they have never existed and won’t apply, but I do hope you give Abridged works a shot.