This audio book version of Outlander was a gift from a friend who knows how much I enjoyed the whole series. Although Geraldine James does an absolutely fabulous job, the abridgment leaves too much of the story out. If you haven't read the complete original book, don't listen to this audiobook. Get an unabridged version from your library or from Recordedbooks.com. (I never understood the value of an abridged version of anything. If the author and editor left something in, it should remain, in my opinion.) If you already read the book, though, Geraldine James' Scottish burr and other accents are beautiful and she makes the various characters' voices distinct and enjoyable.