Walking Practice by Dolki Min addresses gender expectations others put on you and the lack of choice you have therein.
Walking Practice synopsis
Squid Game meets The Left Hand of Darkness meets Under the Skin in this radical literary sensation from South Korea about an alien’s hunt for food that transforms into an existential crisis about what it means to be human.
After crashing their spacecraft in the middle of nowhere, a shapeshifting alien find themself stranded on an unfamiliar planet and disabled by Earth’s gravity. To survive, they will need to practice walking. And what better way than to hunt for food? As they discover, humans are delicious.
Intelligent, clever, and adaptable, the alien shift their gender, appearance, and conduct to suit a prey’s sexual preference, then attack at the pivotal moment of their encounter. They use a variety of hunting tools, including a popular dating app, to target the juiciest prey and carry a backpack filled with torturous instruments and cleaning equipment. But the alien’s existence begins to unravel one night when they fail to kill their latest meal.
Thrust into an ill-fated chase across the city, the alien is confronted with the psychological and physical tolls their experience on Earth has taken. Questioning what they must do to sustain their own survival, they begin to understand why humans also fight to live. But their hunger is insatiable, and the alien once again targets a new prey, not knowing what awaits. . . .
Dolki Min’s haunting debut novel is part psychological thriller, part searing critique of the social structures that marginalize those who are different—the disabled, queer, and nonconformist. Walking Practice uncovers humanity in who we consider to be alien, and illuminates how alienation can shape the human experience.
Book review
“You, dear reader, earnestly play all your parts. The roles that were assigned to you without your consent are stuck to your body like a label: A label that can’t be removed even after death. The labels are invisible. They’re not really there, you know.”
The alien protagonist in Walking Practice grapples with an inner conflict: it yearns to become a member of society despite its disdain for humanity. It has to learn how to walk like a human with two legs (instead of three) under earth’s gravity while its true form is popping up when it gets tired. Taking the bus causes a lot of anxiety for it. This unique perspective offers an opportunity for readers to reflect on their own desires to fit in and the consequences of suppressing their true selves. How do you go about choosing the right honorifics (in Korean society) when the concepts of identity, gender and language evolve?
Alienating tone
The narrative tone of the alien protagonist and its initially unexplained energy efficient sex & man hunting mission may take time to grow on readers. Its constant address to the audience with its frustration can be initially off-putting. However, as the story progresses, its voice gains a certain charm and provides humorous moments that balance the tone. When it says the following, I’m starting to warm up to the alien’s laughter at the end: “If you throw the heart, lungs, entrails, and other organs together and boil them in a pot, it’s a killer stew, hahaha.”
Fortunately, the narrative gains momentum, leading to a satisfying ending. The alien’s struggle to adapt to walking like a human with two legs under Earth’s gravity, and the revelation of its true form, adds depth to the narrative. Yet, the spacing of words in the English translation (ebook version) slightly detracts from the overall reading experience. After reading the translator’s note, I am curious how the intentional disruption of legibility reads in Korean.
Final thoughts
Imagine having to do this much to simply blend in. That even walking the way people expect you to is so exhausting. The author’s main goal remains enigmatic: is he exploring science fiction, queerness, or broader gender expectations?
Walking Practice may not be without its flaws, particularly in the initial alienating tone and occasional disruption of legibility. However, its brevity and distinct narrative style make it an interesting read that can be used as an in-between read that cleanses your palate. The book encourages introspection, leaving readers to contemplate the price of blending in and the power of embracing one’s true self.
Interested?
Buy your copy of Walking Practice from Amazon.
Book details
Title: Walking Practice
Author: Dolki Min
Translator (from Korean): Victoria Caudle
Language: English
Publisher: HarperVia
Pages: 176
ISBN (13): 9780063258617
Publication date: 14 March 2023
About the author and translator
Dolki Min is an artist and writer based in South Korea. Walking Practice is their first novel.
Victoria Caudle is a PhD student in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at UCLA. She completed an MA in literary translation at the University of East Anglia and has an MA in modern Korean literature from Seoul National University.
