Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read this classic long ago and it left enough of an impression on me, through multiple childhood readings, that I still remember some of the lines word for word. The only problem is... they're not in here. Now, I understand are that there are multiple translations and recensions of this work, so this COULD be an "unabridged" version of something closer to the original than what I first read - but if it is, then the original is nowhere near as charming and riveting as the version I recall. Everything here moves too quickly and simply, without suspense or detail; entire conversations are missing... and, most telling, "jumps" occur in which you think, "How did we get HERE?" This last is what makes me suspect that the "un-" was either an editor's mistake or a blatant bit of false advertising... but again, I'm no expert and don't have an "original" version to consult, nor could I read it except in an English translation anyway. Another point that makes the "unabridged" tag suspect is that some of the "lessons" are missing (i.e. Fritz getting scolded for "lying" that he brought nothing home with him, when his hands were obviously hiding something behind his back), and my understanding is that the author originally wrote this thing as one big lesson. (I may not agree with all the lessons, but why remove any part of a classic text?) The language, at least, hasn't been "dumbed down" for children (what an insult to children when we do that!), but it still reads like a simplified version of the story. So I now own a book which I have little interest in reading, and have had to order another one... THIS time I used the "search inside this book" feature to find the exact lines I recalled from my childhood reading - and yes, I DID remember them exactly, they ARE in there. If you're curious, I looked at the scenes with Ernest classifying the agouti - "... listen to the great professor lecturing! He is going to prove that a pig is not a pig!" - and Franz objecting that "I should not much like to taste glue soup" - both in chapter 1, easy to find, and in this version completely missing. If, like me, you recall a richer version of the tale, try ISBN 0440415942. That said, it's a nice solid hardcover edition with a ribbon bookmark. 1 star for a nice physical presentation. Now maybe I can find someone to pawn it off on.