a vestige of thought...
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
What is the point of abridging books? If you're too lazy to read the whole thing, just use the Sparknotes! Stop taking pieces out of books I want to read so that I buy them, not realizing that they are dumbed down, and then start reading them only to discover that there are pieces missing! It frustrates me to no end.
For example:
I was given a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo for Christmas a few years ago. I knew when I opened it that it was much too short to be the real Count of Monte Cristo, so I used a gift card to buy what I though was the full version (the longest one on the shelf). I recently discovered that this version is abridged as well. I have finally gotten my hands on what I believe to be the real thing. No where in it or on it can I find the words "abridged" or "unabridged," but the length and size of font seems correct. Scott got the movie for Christmas and I have vowed to read the book before I see it.
I also realized today that my copy of Robinson Crusoe is abridged. This copy cost me only 25 cents, so I don't mind the loss too much. However I plan to keep my eye out for a full version. Come to think of it I have one, but it is in my collection of old books (this one is from the 1930s, I believe) and I don't want to take it out of the house.
It seems that it is time to clean out the thrift store's shelves of classic books once again. A quarter a book. Can't get much better than that.
For example:
I was given a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo for Christmas a few years ago. I knew when I opened it that it was much too short to be the real Count of Monte Cristo, so I used a gift card to buy what I though was the full version (the longest one on the shelf). I recently discovered that this version is abridged as well. I have finally gotten my hands on what I believe to be the real thing. No where in it or on it can I find the words "abridged" or "unabridged," but the length and size of font seems correct. Scott got the movie for Christmas and I have vowed to read the book before I see it.
I also realized today that my copy of Robinson Crusoe is abridged. This copy cost me only 25 cents, so I don't mind the loss too much. However I plan to keep my eye out for a full version. Come to think of it I have one, but it is in my collection of old books (this one is from the 1930s, I believe) and I don't want to take it out of the house.
It seems that it is time to clean out the thrift store's shelves of classic books once again. A quarter a book. Can't get much better than that.
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