The power of reading

Why do we read? A mural from La Boca in Buenos Aires suggests 'Reading is the journey of those who cannot take a train'

by Lisa Zillio
La Boca
La Boca | © 2018 Gabriele Orlini

Reading is the journey of those who cannot catch a train

Francis de Croisset

La Boca, Città Autonoma di Buenos Aires, Argentina

This post is also available in: Italiano

Walking through La Boca, one of the most famous (but lesser-known) barrios in Buenos Aires, we stumbled upon this mural:

Fantastic, and not just for the colours – those who have been to La Boca will remember the palette painting the streets, the houses, and the smiles.
It is a hymn to the freedom given by reading – in all its forms – and to the power of stories to take us anywhere in the world, in and out of people’s gut feelings. Potentially without stepping outside the front door, but with the connections of a traveller.

And as I’m reading it, a passage from ‘The Old Man Who Read Love Novels‘ by Luis Sepúlveda crosses my mind.

Which one? You have to tell me.

Text: Lisa Zillio 
Original text in Italian - In house translation
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