Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino.
There's something magical about its lyricism and imagination. There's a sense of wonder even in its darker moments. It shook me out of my post-high-school despondency and I thank it every day for that
Beyond everything else here I could ask questions about, or comment on, I gotta say as a paid writer: don't quit your job for writing something you're not commissioned to write.