Why Adults Should Read Abridged Novels

I've started reading abridged novels. Maybe that's a good idea for you too. 

What do I mean by abridged? I mean a lightly-abridged version intended for adults. They are often done by scholars. The one's I've been reading tend to be from the mid-1900's. I'm not talking about the Great Illustrated Classics, but those are fun to read with kids.

  • Many older novels have extra descriptions that don't move the story forward. Abridged novels remove the extra so that the plot shines through.
  • Abridged novels are good for novels that you might reread. They give a quick(er) overview that lets you see if you enjoy the author, characters, and plot. Then you can reread the whole thing. I don't want an abridged novel that removes 3/4 of the book. I want one that goes from 1000 pages to 500-600 pages. A good book is worth rereading. You get more each time that you return to it. Abridged novels help with the rereading process.
  • I read an abridged War and Peace last year and Les Miserables recently. I'm reading an abridged Moby Dick right now. I have actually read the full versions of War and Peace and Les Mis before, but it was so overwhelming that I wanted to give them another chance.
  • Watching a movie version or stage play is like an abridgment. It doesn't replace the real thing (this is according to the editor of Moby Dick).
  • I gained respect for abridged books when my wife enjoyed an abridged Les Mis and Bruce Metzger described doing the Reader's Digest version of the Bible. He took a lot of care with it, largely focused on editing connecting words, and showed the purpose behind introducing people to a book that they might not otherwise read.

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