 First edition | |
| Author | Jack Kerouac |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Avon |
Publication date | 1960 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 96 pp |
| OCLC | 24871127 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3521.E735 T73 1992 |
| Preceded by | Maggie Cassidy (1959) |
| Followed by | Lonesome Traveler (1960) |
Tristessa is a 1960 novella by Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac set in Mexico City. It is based on his relationship with a Mexican prostitute (the title character). The woman's real name was Esperanza ("hope" in Spanish); Kerouac changed her name to Tristessa (a spelling he made up from tristeza which means "sadness" in Spanish).[1]
The novel was translated into Spanish by Mexican writer Jorge García-Robles.
- ^ "Who's Who: A Guide to Kerouac's Characters" Beatdom Issue 3