Graceling question

I didn't like what happened to him, i thought there should've been a way that he could gain his sight back or some way there could be an alternate ending... it left me so sad that he was left that way.

"self pitying"? I'm like to see how you lot would react if you suddenly became blind.

There's a lot of things I hate about this novel but Po going blind, while sad, wasn't one of them. However, the way the protagonist acted after Po was blinded just made me hate the book all the more.

I honestly could not get over the fact that his name was the same as one of the teletubbies. I didn't really feel anything for him. Maybe it's just me?

I didn't like what happened to Po but I know that he can overcome it and will succeed in life.

i felt so sorry for him that he had to pretend around Katsa and his family that he could see, but then there was his Grace that saved him and he didn't fight it anymore

Yes. I was pissed. I felt Kristin Cashore was too harsh. How could she do that? It was COMPLETELY unnecessary.

I was heartbroken, his blank eyes and sadness broke me.

I was so sad!!!! I'm pretty sure I cried a bit..

As bad as this is going to sound but I really wanted Po to have a "Happily Ever After". I'm not one who needs a happying ending but things just kinda sucked for him at the end. The way he was written made him very likable.

I have a theory that the author made Po blind to avoid a certain storyline in Bitterblue. You have to have read Fire to know what I mean.

It also saddens me to find out he became blind. It reminds me of Mr. Rochester of Jane Eyre who was also blinded in the end. The book could've a better ending like maybe Raffin having a medicine for blindness, but then, maybe it won't be good for the story. But I really wished Po still had his sight. Actually, at first, I thought only his one eye was blind. Don't know why. And I was like, it's okay, cause he could still see with the other eye, but then he was really blind with both eyes. Poor Po.

I also find it sadly ironic that he could sense and know what's going on everything around him, but he couldn't see the beauty of these things, but only think and imagine it. But yet, he must be lucky for his Grace.

I was consoled in the end when Katsa could still make him feel happy. That's what's important, I guess, to still find happiness in other things and Po found it. :)

i am holding on to the hope that he will somehow regain his sight in Bitterblue.

I felt like tearing the book apart when Po became blind. It seems like the world is falling apart. Sure he's blind but self pitying is fine too but not too much. Where is his optimistic and positive thinking he has previously???

I didn't particularly like it, but blindness was a twist and really revealed how strong his gift was. He came out of it and was stronger for it. What I really didn't like was the two of them going their separate ways. Yes, they were strong enough to, and Katsa had said something like she never wanted to be controlled by another person again, but hey, you can be strong and independent and your own person and still be with someone else who accepts that and is that himself. They proved they were, especially when Po survives on his own. Guess it's the need for HEA in me.

Well it actually was a kind of fairytale ending. In Rapunzel, the prince throws himself from the tower in grief, and thorns poke his eyes and he becomes blind. Granted, that's not what happened in Graceling, and no, Kaysa isn't likely to cry into Po's eyes, but that's what the ending reminded me of.

I really didn't like it. I found it to be a bit unnecessary. When I read the part where they found him i felt like it was too easy. There had to be a catch. I feel like I should have seen it coming. His Grace was enough to make up for something like lost sight. And I didn't mind the self-pitying part as much as the fact that he wouldn't tell Katsa about it after they reunited.

Okay Po + Blind totally sucked but you must admit it made a great ending I don't think I want to change it it sorta adding a touchy feeling towards the end (I began weeping) I liked it :)

yea, i wish she would agree to marry him and have tons of childrens with him. Po deserve to have that ending.

Bah. I didn't like it at all. Felt like she just threw it in there to add some more pages.

I hated it! I loved everything about the book, except for this part. I still don't see why it was necessary for the author to do this. :(

I think what happened to him was too sad. :(

I was so sad when Katsa guessed that Po was blind and when she ended up being right. What made me even more sad was how the book ended and how they went their separate ways.

I was heartbroken, his beautiful eyes, and he can never see out of them again!!

i almost started to cry, i love po and katsas story, im about to read fire!

I really like Po. I was shocked and upset when I learned taht he is blind. He was one of my favorite characters plus there is really little amount of people who understand Katsa and Po is one of them. He didn't deserve it. He already has a name like Po. Isn't it enough for a person like Po.

That was not OKAY! I loved Po he did not deserve that.

Well, personally I found it really sad that Po went blind. To lose beauty is an awful thing, something I wouldn't wish on anyone, and especially Po. What I did like is how emotional it was, how the author described Po's process in bouncing back from the experience. Brilliant writing.

In terms of comments concerning Katsa and Po's relationship... personally I would have preferred the conventional marriage ending and it annoyed me that it didn't happen. Really annoyed me. But on the other hand, in Bitterblue Po and Katsa still seem to be working well together, years later, so I guess I'm okay with it. :)

I didn't like that at all. And I don't like is name cause everytime i think kung fu panda po

I don't know. I find stories kind of dumb when nothing bad ever happens to any of the good characters. It makes it less believable (not that I believe Graces are real). At least with his Grace it wouldn't ruin his life. Just change it.

What happened to him at the end of the book was tragic, but I kinda like that she went in that direction. She potrayed him as someone not entirely perfect and so human with the self-pitying act and stuff.

I agree with hating that he was blinded, however it shows in latter books just how powerful his gift was, what i really hated and had to agree with a few people on here is how they end with a sexual relationship, but no commitment, in the traditional sense. I don't like Katya for this reason. Po is perfect and sees her for who she is and allows her to be that person. And she won't stay put, GROW UP, GIRL!!

I thought it really enhanced his character and let his Grace shine through. I love Po, he held a soft spot in my heart the first I met him.
I tried to read Bitterblue (I didn't realize Fire was the sequel, not Bitterblue), and I didn't like it very much. Every time something exciting would happen, it would be over in two pages and we would be back to snooping around and being secretive. I only read halfway through it until I simply became bored.

Yes I was unhappy with the end of the book....

Like some others have said, Prince Po was an awesome character with a very attractive personality, when he lost his sight, I too disliked how self-pitying & sullen he became, it did not match his character at all, very disappointing....

And now I find out he isn't even in Fire, to redeem himself. Aahhrrrr, ripped off!!

If I wanted the story of a gorgeous, strong, charismatic man who got his way with the heroine, then when faced with adversity, fell apart, drifting into self pity & isolation, & goes his own way........ Then I would write the story of my life!! Been there done that....... I want the hero, a pillar of strength & courage & compassion, everytime.....

I know, I really disliked it, but I think that (a) the author needed some more twists and (b) needed something to make their relationship stronger while building both Po and Katsa as characters. 'Cause, even if he was self-pitying for a while, didn't Po get really strong and pretty much double the power of his gift?

I wasn't really sad for the fact that he got blind, what made me upset was that he wouldn't be able to see Katsa anymore. As he said, it was difficult to him to stand by her side, loving her as he did, without being able to actually see her. On the other hand, it just made his Grace stand out more.
And without some sad event, the end of the book would have been pretty boring though.

I WAS REALLY TOTALLY SAD BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was incredibly sad. It made me cry:(

It was a nice and unexpected plot twist, but after that he wasn't the strong wonderful boy that I'd grown to love. But I have high hope for Po in 'Bitterblue' cause by then he should have learned how to live with his handicap!

I loved graceling! i felt so bad for Po because he couldn't see katsa and how beautiful she is. but I'm very happy that he could like sense what was behind or around him

Ugh, Po going blind ruined the book 4 me.

I hated what happened to him, I actually started to cry. But i also don't think it was a full tragedy. However, I didn't like how he became so down all the time. But i was glad when Katsa started to work with him, and make him feel better...

Yeah, I didn't like how self absorbed he became either, and I didn't really like him becoming blind over-all. It seemed a tad random.

I agree with Megan. I hated how self pitying he got! but once he started to see with his grace the idea of him being blind was manageable ;)

Oh wow, I completely forgot that he went blind in the end...! It's sad, but I think it's not that big of a deal because as some of you said, he seems to be coping with it fine, and also because it builds character!

I didn't like that Po was blinded, but you have to give him some time to grieve over what he's lost. Based on his personality I would expect him to mire in self-pity for a while. He's learning to use his grace in a different way to compensate which will help him come to terms with this great change in is life.

personally i thought it was expected. In my opinion it was the only reasonable answer for him to fully learn his grace.

I was upset and sympathetic :( Poor Po... Yes, I was very upset he lost his eyesight. :'( But at least he has his Grace of Sensing things :) And I don't care that he was self pitying, if I lost my eyesight, I would be upset too! lol I'm glad Katsa was smart enough to figure it out

I bet his grace wouldn't have developed as much if he hadn't been blinded ... but that doesn't mean i liked it. i think Po got too self centered and less playful though and i liked him better before. (I think Po is a cute name <3) But in the end i love him either way and hes good for kasta, (even if i like Fire better:)

hated that Po got blind.. too 'daredevil' for me when he started seeing thru his grace.. :)