Atmosphere/Abridging books

Sorry I forgot to post yesterday...it was a day of errands and I had lunch with old work buddies, then I got hijacked into an audio book, The Eyre Affair. Very interesting concept and world, the POV was quite strange, but what really struck me was the "atmosphere" of the book.

Atmosphere -- overall tone. Dark/light -- dark for brooding, tortured heroes or heroines, things that don't go right, characters who die...perhaps main characters. Light -- humor-laced romps, perhaps less emotionally engaging. I consider my books with edges of both. The most wrenching scene I ever wrote was in Heart Choice, yet that book had lighter moments, usually with the cat since I often use the Fam animals for comic relief.

So, I was wrapped up in the tone of the book -- which was more dark than light, more filled with brooding on the past and a sense of despair in that the heroine had to finally face and deal with some very unpleasant memories.

Then I found out that the book was SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED...which further sent my mood out of whack. I HATE that. I didn't check when I took the book from the library. Hell.

I don't KNOW who makes the abridgements in audio. I don't think it's the author. And I was, of course, most interested in the love story, and being an alternate-universe action adventure with a romantic subplot, I'd bet that the first thing that was "abridged" was part of the romance -- the subplot. Yech.

So I've ordered the print books and will reread IF they come...since this is the 2nd time I've ordered them, the first package is lost in Media Mail (got a refund).

I don't much like media mail, either, as it can take months. Really. Months.

Ok, enough of my generalized whining. May you bring unique elements to your story today.

Robin