Editing Caper story

{{Short description|Subgenre of crime fiction}}
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The '''caper story''' is a subgenre of [[crime fiction]]. The typical caper story involves one or more crimes (especially thefts, swindles, or occasionally kidnappings) perpetrated by the main characters in full view of the reader. The actions of police or detectives attempting to prevent or solve the crimes may also be chronicled, but are not the main focus of the story. 

The caper story is distinguished from the straight crime story by elements of humor, adventure, or unusual cleverness or audacity. The main characters often have comical idiosyncrasies and the law enforcement individuals are characterized by ineptitude or inadequacies. The criminals comically plan a crime with details unnecessary for the nature of the crime, and humour is created when their personalities clash and their quirks are exposed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moore|first=Author Sharon Arthur|date=2014-11-18|title=The Mystery of Mysteries: 10 Elements of the Caper Mystery|url=http://writeonsisters.com/writing-craft/mystery-mysteries-10-elements-caper-mystery/|access-date=2021-01-25|website=WriteOnSisters.com|language=en-US}}</ref> For instance, the [[John Dortmunder|Dortmunder]] stories of [[Donald E. Westlake]] are highly comic tales involving unusual thefts by a gang of offbeat characters&mdash;in different stories Dortmunder's gang steals the same gem several times, steals an entire branch bank, and kidnaps someone from an asylum by driving a stolen train onto the property. By contrast, the same author's [[Parker (Stark novels character)|Parker]] stories (published under the name Richard Stark) are grimly straightforward accounts of mundane crime&mdash;the criminal equivalent of the [[police procedural]]. Others, such as [[Lawrence Block]]'s [[Bernie Rhodenbarr]] novels, feature a role reversal, an honest criminal and crooked cop, and the use of [[burglar]] Rhodenbarr's criminal talents to solve murders.

A caper may appear as a subplot in a larger work. For example, [[Tom Sawyer]]'s plot to steal Jim out of slavery in the last part of ''[[Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (novel)|Huckleberry Finn]]'' is a classic caper.

== Etymology ==
The verb ''to caper'' means to leap in a frolicsome way,<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/caper Caper; definition 2] from the [[Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary]]</ref> and probably derives from ''capriole'',<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/capriole Capriole] from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary</ref> which derives from the Latin for [[goat]] (''[[Capra (genus)|Capra]]''). The noun ''caper''<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/caper Caper; definition 3] from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary</ref> means a frolicsome leap, a capricious escapade or an illegal or questionable act.

== Examples ==
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=== Literature ===
* ''[[Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar]]'' (1907) by [[Maurice Leblanc]]
* "[[The Ransom of Red Chief]]" (1910) by [[O. Henry]]: two kidnappers find that the little boy they are holding for ransom is more dangerous than the law
* early stories of "[[Simon Templar|The Saint]]" (beginning in 1928) by [[Leslie Charteris]]
* ''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1949) by [[W. R. Burnett]], adapted for film in 1950, 1958, 1963 and 1972
* novels by [[John Boland (author)|John Boland]] such as ''[[The League of Gentlemen (novel)|The League of Gentlemen]]'' (1958) and ''[[The Golden Fleece (novel)|The Golden Fleece]]'' (1961)
* ''[[The Light of Day (Eric Ambler novel)|The Light of Day]]'' (1962) by [[Eric Ambler]] (filmed as ''[[Topkapi (film)|Topkapi]]'')
* the ''[[Modesty Blaise]]'' stories (beginning in 1963) of [[Peter O'Donnell]]
* the [[John Dortmunder]] series (beginning in 1970) and other novels by [[Donald E. Westlake]]
* ''Sledgehammer'' (1971) by [[Walter Wager]]
* ''A Tough One to Lose'' (1972) by Tony Kenrick
* ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (novel)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1973) by [[Morton Freedgood|John Godey]]&mdash; a subway car is hijacked and held for ransom
* ''[[The Great Train Robbery (novel)|The Great Train Robbery]]'' (1975) by [[Michael Crichton]]
* ''Stealing Lillian'' (1975) by Tony Kenrick
* ''The Seven Day Soldiers'' (1976) by Tony Kenrick
* ''Faraday's Flowers'' (1978) &mdash; adapted as ''[[Shanghai Surprise]]''
* ''Two Lucky People'' (1981) by Tony Kenrick
* ''[[Swindle (novel)|Swindle]]'' (2008) By [[Gordon Korman]]
* ''[[Mistborn: The Final Empire]]'' (2006) By [[Brandon Sanderson]]
* ''[[The Lies of Locke Lamora]]'' (2006) by [[Scott Lynch (author)|Scott Lynch]]
* ''[[Heist Society]]'' (2010) by [[Ally Carter]]
* Most books by [[Janet Evanovich]]

=== Film ===
{{main|Heist film}}

=== Television ===
* ''Now You See It, Now You Don't'', a 1968 [[TV-movie]] about an art expert who is hired by an insurance company to protect a [[Rembrandt]] on loan from the [[Louvre]] and later hatches a scheme to steal it.
* ''[[Hustle (TV series)|Hustle]]'', a [[British Television|British series]] created by [[Tony Jordan]] (2004–2012).
* ''[[Leverage (American TV series)|Leverage]]'', a [[TNT (U.S. TV network)|TNT]] series created by [[Dean Devlin]] (2008–2012).
* ''[[Olsen-banden]]'', a Danish comedy series.

== See also ==
* [[Canadian Caper]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Crime fiction]]
[[Category:Fiction by genre]]
[[Category:Mystery fiction]]
[[Category:Heist fiction| ]]
{{crime fiction}}