Abridged

An abridged work is deliberately shorted from its original format. Judicious cuts are made by the publisher. Abridged works were often offered in the audiobook market due to the large number of tapes (not to mention listening time) required to produce a single book.

Complaints about abridged versions include missing story elements. New technologies make it easier for listeners of audiobooks to enjoy unabridged versions of books, since there is less mess to manage. Abridged versions continue to appear in bookshelves for a variety of reasons.