Hands down I think for the casual reader the abridged version wins. It cuts out the fluff, promotes the innate sense of laziness in humanity, and spares the drivel. I've read both, and I had a tough time chewing through the endless fat and drivel of the unabirdged version. Though the later does require work to get through it.

Honestly it is one of those rare books that if the unabridged versions were lost to history forever it wouldn't be such a crime.

As for the ending I found it very unsatisfying. Once you get past the escape the story just looses steam in my opinion.