Read Moby Dick; it's more relevant today than possibly ever before and arguably essential reading for Americans (if it wasn't before).

It's a challenging book to read; don't be surprised if some of Melville's writing never quite makes sense; not everything has to make sense. The narrator, who introduces themself at the outset, is a person of varying reliability - you'll need to decide how much.

Reality edges closer to Melville's fantasy.