12 MARCH 1994, page 27

Nothing Personal

Here, winter tricks us: sun and calm, small summer, to make the unsuspecting almonds bloom. Then wind-stripped petals, snow to blight the bud. Who sees the world like this is......

His Pale Courtesan In Beauty And Decay

Main de Botton VIOLETTA AND HER SISTERS: THE LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS, RESPONSES TO THE MYTH edited by Nicholas John Faber, £8.99, pp. 305 E ver since Alexandre Dumas fits penned......

Books

Harder than hard times Paul Foot DICKENS'S JOURNALISM: VOLUME I, SKETCHES BY BOZ AND OTHER EARLY PAPERS, 1833-1839 edited by Michael Slater Dent, 1...30, pp. 580 I f journalism......