Audio books are available in either abridged or unabridged versions. In a nutshell, abridged versions are shortened versions from the original book while unabridged versions are complete versions of the book.

More on Unabridged Versions

Unabridged audiobooks are those where the narrator reads every word of the original text. Needless to say, these are more lengthy versions. Listeners will choose this format if they must hear every word of the book and they have a lot of time and patience available for listening.

As a spoken page takes much longer than a read page, it will take longer to hear an unabridged book than to read it. This is especially true if you are accustomed to scan-reading text and not reading every word. An audio book that may be 7 hours in abridged form may be over 30 hours in unabridged form.

More on Abridged Versions

Abridged audio books are those where the recorded text is comprised of only key parts of the written book, yet still designed to flow together into an enjoyable story. Subplots and wordy descriptive scenes may be left out.

Obviously, you don't need as much time set aside to listen to the abridged version of an audiobook as opposed to its more lengthy unabridged version.

Cost Considerations of the Two Formats

If you are purchasing your audio recordings on CD, then the unabridged version will take up more disks while the shortened version will take fewer disks. These additional disks may add to the cost. Also, as CDs can not be downloaded from the internet, they need to be physically mailed to you, the buyer. Thus, there may be shipping and handling (S&H) costs, which may be somewhat higher for the larger number of CDs needed for unabridged books.

Additionally, unabridged works sometimes cost more because of the added production costs. That is, the recording sessions are longer and one needs to pay the narrator for speaking for more hours, etc. However, if you are getting your audio books in MP3 download format, there may be no difference in costs.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that whether you choose abridged or unabridged audio books, the choice is really your personal decision.