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Last Loosening: A Handbook for the Con Artist & Those Aspiring to Become One
A cofounder of Dada and its enfant terrible, Walter Serner was a brilliant observer of society — his activities in the 1920s have been called "a dance on the rim of a volcano." His Last Loosening: Dada Manifesto was written in 1918 and published in 1920. Slightly revised later as Serner became disgusted with Dada, it forms the first part of this volume, its philosophical foundation. Serner's publisher, Paul Steegemann, in a fit of promotional zeal, sensationally claimed that it had been "compiled across the entire continent by the notorious international con man Dr. Walter Serner."
The volume's second part, "The Handbook of Practices," was written in Geneva in 1927 and offers in gnomic prose a practical guide and playful "moral codex" for the modern amoralist, the con man, subverting the illusions and stereotypes underpinning social mores by attacking the contradictions between appearance and reality. Its ultimate conclusion: "The world wants to be deceived. And it becomes truly malevolent if you don't oblige." A cynical vision to be sure, Serner has set out a list of precepts to arm us in a world where boredom prevails and nothing but self-interest is a motivator, a shameless, bigoted world wallowing in an orgy of narcissism, where it is either fool or be fooled. His smugness and indifference, his "Jesuit snobbery" as one critic called it, gave his work an explosive force that was unsurpassed by his contemporaries.
The volume's second part, "The Handbook of Practices," was written in Geneva in 1927 and offers in gnomic prose a practical guide and playful "moral codex" for the modern amoralist, the con man, subverting the illusions and stereotypes underpinning social mores by attacking the contradictions between appearance and reality. Its ultimate conclusion: "The world wants to be deceived. And it becomes truly malevolent if you don't oblige." A cynical vision to be sure, Serner has set out a list of precepts to arm us in a world where boredom prevails and nothing but self-interest is a motivator, a shameless, bigoted world wallowing in an orgy of narcissism, where it is either fool or be fooled. His smugness and indifference, his "Jesuit snobbery" as one critic called it, gave his work an explosive force that was unsurpassed by his contemporaries.
- GenresFiction
189 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1927
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144 people want to read
About the author
Walter Serner
37 books10 followersWalter Serner was born Walter Eduard Seligmann in Carlsbad, Bohemia (then Austria-Hungary, now Czech Republic). In 1913 he studied promotion law in the Austro-Hungarian capital of Vienna and completed his doctorate in the University of Greifswald.
With the outbreak of World War I, he escaped to Switzerland in 1914 and participated in Dada activities in Zürich, Geneva, and Paris until 1920. During World War I he was the editor of the magazines Sirius and Zeltweg and a writer for Die Aktion. In 1921 Serner stayed in Italy with the artist Christian Schad. Beginning in 1923 he began living in various European cities, including Barcelona, Bern, Vienna, Carlsbad, and Prague.
From 1925, Serner became the target of anti-Semitism. Serner had been born Jewish and had converted to Catholicism in 1913.
His play Posada premiered in Berlin in 1927, but his other planned shows were forbidden. In 1933 Serner's books were banned by the government of Nazi Germany.
In 1938 Serner married his partner Dorothea Herz in Prague, where he was working as a private teacher. When war broke out, they had no chance to escape from the occupied country. In 1942 he and his wife were interned in the Theresienstadt concentration camp and three weeks later were moved in the direction of "the East", where they perished somewhere near Minsk.
Walter Serner's most successful novel Die Tigerin (The Tigress) was made into an English-language feature film by writer/director Karin Howard and released in 1992. At that time the novel was re-published in Germany where Serner's books enjoy a cult following. The film was shot in Berlin and Carlsbad.
With the outbreak of World War I, he escaped to Switzerland in 1914 and participated in Dada activities in Zürich, Geneva, and Paris until 1920. During World War I he was the editor of the magazines Sirius and Zeltweg and a writer for Die Aktion. In 1921 Serner stayed in Italy with the artist Christian Schad. Beginning in 1923 he began living in various European cities, including Barcelona, Bern, Vienna, Carlsbad, and Prague.
From 1925, Serner became the target of anti-Semitism. Serner had been born Jewish and had converted to Catholicism in 1913.
His play Posada premiered in Berlin in 1927, but his other planned shows were forbidden. In 1933 Serner's books were banned by the government of Nazi Germany.
In 1938 Serner married his partner Dorothea Herz in Prague, where he was working as a private teacher. When war broke out, they had no chance to escape from the occupied country. In 1942 he and his wife were interned in the Theresienstadt concentration camp and three weeks later were moved in the direction of "the East", where they perished somewhere near Minsk.
Walter Serner's most successful novel Die Tigerin (The Tigress) was made into an English-language feature film by writer/director Karin Howard and released in 1992. At that time the novel was re-published in Germany where Serner's books enjoy a cult following. The film was shot in Berlin and Carlsbad.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 1, 2025
Jag fatta ingenting.
August 9, 2021
I wonder if the afterword would be better as a forward, as without context the first section of 60-odd pages was a nonsensical chore, and I’d already decided I’d give the book away once I’d slogged through it. By the end of the second, longer section, I knew I’d probably come back to this book several times in the future. The opening Dadaist manifesto is preposterous, a pisstake, a proto-Joycean invitation to a punch-up. The instructions that follow are essential and wonderfully alien, though still offensive, preposterous, and looking for reaction. They are very funny and evoke a peculiar angle of a world that’s just passed from living memory. Great.
May 29, 2025
En ‘Manual para embaucadores’, Walter Serner afiló su pluma dadaísta y se marcó un manifiesto para vividores de los años veinte que aspiraran a vivir por todo lo alto, pero sin intención de pagar la cuenta. Interesante como documento histórico y, más aún, de los ambientes más canallas, pero sus consejos altivos y categóricos (“sé frío”, “sé cínico”, “sé listo”, “hazte el muerto si hace falta, pero con gracia”…) no dejan de ser el polo opuesto de la dictadura bienpensante que presuntamente pretendía combatir.
«Como veis, mis queridos amigos, todo es decididamente una estafa. Cada cual es (más o menos) una obra sumamente ligera, gracias a Dios».
«Como veis, mis queridos amigos, todo es decididamente una estafa. Cada cual es (más o menos) una obra sumamente ligera, gracias a Dios».
July 3, 2022
Another thin but heavy piece of literature. Playful, yet still demanding. No story...what a surprise...a lot of thoughts and images...seems cryptic, asks for re-re-re-readd...I just don't know if I am able...going to do that. Loved some of ideas and for that highly recommended.
September 23, 2025
Knigge für Zyniker und die es sein könnten. Erster Teil ist etwas schwer verdaulich, dann im zweiten aber starke Kost blendend erhellend; mitunter eine zaghafte Rebellion gegen die Langeweile.
March 6, 2017
¡Esto es un poco ruidoso y vociferante! (p. 63)
Creo que me encontré con este libro unos cuántos años muy tarde. En otro momento, durante mi obsesión con el dadá y el absurdismo, seguro habría sido mi libro favorito. Ahora, pues claro que encuentro fragmentos brillantes como éste a propósito de la grafología:
Pero, en su mayoría, los fragmentos son poco profundos, desconectados (que funcionará muy bien para quienes disfrutan mucho de los dadaístas) y, lo que más se me hizo un obstáculo, muy pocos sentimientos con qué simpatizar –siendo un libro tan potencialmente sentimental–. A muchos les parecerá que estas son características propias de los dadaístas en general o efectos inevitables de este tipo de obra, pero basta con ver las fotografías de Man Ray o leer los poemas de Tristan Tzara para ver que no hay que dejar de escribir juiciosamente para escribir sin juicio.
Todo esto dicho, es un libro entretenidísimo de leer, es difícil no resoplar una risa al menos una vez por página. No es una experiencia transformadora, pero un buen rato de diversión queda garantizado.
La edición de El Desvelo: espectacular; probablemente el libro más bellamente presentado que haya sostenido en mis manos.
Creo que me encontré con este libro unos cuántos años muy tarde. En otro momento, durante mi obsesión con el dadá y el absurdismo, seguro habría sido mi libro favorito. Ahora, pues claro que encuentro fragmentos brillantes como éste a propósito de la grafología:
39. Desde que sé que existen grafólogos me he vuelto en ese sentido más optimista al haber recuperado de nuevo un poquito más de confianza en las barandillas… Efecto de una carta sobre el pequeño vicio: infantil, ridículo. Sobre el grande: débil, grotesco. La (muy estimada) escritura es la señal más errónea que un tipo puede dar sobre sí mismo. […] Al final, siempre se cae. Siempre. Dentro.
Pero, en su mayoría, los fragmentos son poco profundos, desconectados (que funcionará muy bien para quienes disfrutan mucho de los dadaístas) y, lo que más se me hizo un obstáculo, muy pocos sentimientos con qué simpatizar –siendo un libro tan potencialmente sentimental–. A muchos les parecerá que estas son características propias de los dadaístas en general o efectos inevitables de este tipo de obra, pero basta con ver las fotografías de Man Ray o leer los poemas de Tristan Tzara para ver que no hay que dejar de escribir juiciosamente para escribir sin juicio.
Todo esto dicho, es un libro entretenidísimo de leer, es difícil no resoplar una risa al menos una vez por página. No es una experiencia transformadora, pero un buen rato de diversión queda garantizado.
La edición de El Desvelo: espectacular; probablemente el libro más bellamente presentado que haya sostenido en mis manos.
June 7, 2015
Vynikající manifest da-da, který se v těch nejodvážnějších momentech blížil pocitům, kdy si ve tři ráno čtu na záchodě návod k použití WC Ducku v maďarštině. Naštěstí kniha obsahuje i vysvětlivky (čítající ještě víc stran než samotný text), který tento už tak kouzelný blábol (kompliment) ještě dovysvětlily a kupodivu jej i víceméně objasnily. Asi jako by Vám David Lynch udělal lobotomii pomocí staršího čísla Playboye. Dal bych i pět hvězd, ale dneska jsem tvrďák.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews