vestalmiss, An abridged version is usually shorter. (like condensed books) and unabridged means it is the whole thing (nothing left out or condensed) Because of all the appendices and special topical entries that Tolkien deliberately put in ... I'd go for the unabridged versions.
Good luck, Bear
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Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit Called or uncalled, God is present
I'm not sure one needs to be a scholar to read LotR. It's just a long, beautiful book which you can read from beginning to end and feel involved with the characters and their struggle. However many found the appendices hard to get through, and some even thought that the book lost its appeal after the final defeat of Sauron by destroying the ring. But the book may be read without its appendices without losing too much (considering you're not intesested in the deeper history of the legendarium).
An abridged version of LotR, on the other hand, may ruin the story. A child may be given a different book to read (the Hobbit for instance) until he/she's old enough to concentrate on a long book such as LotR, so there is no need for a shorter version. An adult may surely find the time to read the original in the first place... And as a matter of fact, I never saw any abridged LotR's until now.
-- Edited by John Wain on Tuesday 10th of May 2011 08:45:28 AM
