Far fewer people would read it I think, because the book wouldn't be touted in the first place. The abridged versions are widely available today specifically b

Far fewer people would read it I think, because the book wouldn't be touted in the first place. The abridged versions are widely available today specifically because the original is recognized as great yet filters many readers. If one of the abridged versions was the original, I think nobody today would have heard of it.