This scholarly book entitled The Mirror and the Reflections: Interpreting Literatures through Theories was published by Academica Press in Washington USA in 2020. P.V. Laxmiprasad is the Editor of this critical book. His editorial skills prove to be a testament to his commitment and credibility as an Editor. This book focuses on the application of literary theories to literary texts. Applying literary theories to any literary text is a remarkable achievement by any scholar. This book is indexed in Library of Congress cataloguing-in-publication Data, USA. There are 14 well-explored chapters in this critical volume contributed by eminent critics.

The critics dealt with Colonialism, Racism, Resistance, Voice of the Voiceless, Feminism, Eco-Critical readings, Historic Documents from South Africa, Existential Overview, the Myth of Ableism, and other theories. The writers whose works have been explored are Itwaru’s Shanti, Nalini  Jameela’s The Autobiography of a Sex Worker, KR Meera’s  Hangwoman, UR Anantha Murthy’s works, P. Raja’s Water Please, Nadine Gordimer’s Burger’s Daughter, George Ryga’s Indian, The Disability Studies in The Mahabharata, Manjula Padmanabhan’s  Harvest, Nissim Ezekiels’s Night of the Scorpion, TV Reddy’s Fleeting Bubbles, Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena,  Indian Mythological Characters like Sita and Draupadi, and Tahmima Anam’s A Golden Age.

Critics have studied these texts by employing literary theories effectively. They have applied different theories to these literary texts and explored something innovative. The volume speaks of scholarly labour by eminent critics in multiple ways. It is an assiduous task for them to interpret the texts by the relevant theories critically. Many critics have hailed this critical book as the best contribution by the Indian Scholar P.V. Laxmiprasad. In conclusion, the book has an excellent jacket design supported by the cataloguing of the book in the Library of Congress USA. A critical book on Literary Theories is always looked upon as a great milestone. Laxmiprasad’s contribution is commendable.  Literary theory enables a broad appreciation of global literature. Reading a text through the lens of literary theory provides a new perspective to learn more about different authors' intentions. P.V. Laxmiprasad has accomplished this task with this classic on literary themes. The contributors to the volume deserve appreciation for their critical acumen and potential depths of class, merit, and analysis. One must preserve this book on the bookshelf.