Gollum

[Revan]

He's not my favourite character in The Lord Of The Rings,however I think he is one of the most interesting characters in the story. The reasons are simple, EVERY other character in this book is either good or bad, but this withered little hobbit is both. I enjoyed reading the parts in the book that are about him. Does anyone else like this character as much as I do.

[Seafoam Understone]

Gollum/Smegol/Stinker/Slinker is an essential character in the series. Creepy and pitiful at the same time. Tolkien must've had a place in his heart for him as he's woven through the tapestry of the tale so vividly.
Yes, I liked him (gollum gollum). He was a joy to hate my precious yes, hates them we do gollum gollum hates them, nasty wicked posters yes precious we's hates them.

[Furls Fire]

LOL!! we hatesss them forever!!

Oh my goodness. Gollum. I pitied him. It was Gollum at the end who destroyed the Ring. In his lust for it, he ended himself. He was the personification of the Ring's corruption. It tormented him, it made him mad. Tolkien's weaving of him was superb. With Gollum, we had a "picture" of what evil can do.

Boromir, Frodo, Bilbo...they all felt the corruption, but Gollum LIVED it. Altho, Frodo was coming very very close. He couldn't bring himself to throw the Ring into Mt. Doom. I think it was fitting of Tolkien to have Gollum as the ultimate "hero". Even tho, destroying the Ring was not his intent, it made for an excellent climax to an awesome story.

[Ylva Kresh]

This is beside the point but I just have to tell you this pice of information... At one point Tolkien got a letter from a Mr Sam Gamgi. Mr Gamgi had not read the books himself, but he had heard that his name figured in them. Tolkien was delighted and send him signed copies of all the books and a nice letter telling Mr Gamgi how he came upp with the nice name and what nice character his Sam Gamgi was. It is said that thereafter Tolkien lived in constant fear for one day finding a letter from Mr S. Gollum... I do not know if it is true, this...

[Gil galad]

Gollum! Gollum!

[Revan]

I felt so sorry for Gollum. I remember when they were on Mount Doom; and Sam tells "Mr. Frodo" to run for it, and says he'll kill Gollum, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, because he dimly guessed the pain Gollum was going through. When Sam thought "but he had no words to expressed what he felt" about Gollum, I started to try and understand Gollum more. There's Smeagol, who's a nice hobbit and there's this other side of him who evil and was created by the Ring that Smeagol just can't get out of his head. With that and his obession with the Ring, you can't help but feel sorry for him.

[Skyweir]

i agree. I felt for Smeagol too! Gandalf was right when he corrected Frodo in Moria. I felt that Smeagol may have had a chance had Frodo explained why he lured him into Farrimirs grasp, instead of feeling betrayed he would have realised that Frodo intended to save him.

This sense of betrayal cost Smeagol his liberation from Gollum .. it was very sad.

[Ylva Kresh]

Skyweir wrote:

Gandalf was right when he corrected Frodo in Moria

Assuming we are talking of the same correction here, I think that Gandalf acctually told Frodo this in his own house in the Shire (even though the movie put this dialog in the mines of Moria), long before Frodo had known any horrors or death. I do not think he might have spoken in the same way in Moria, knowing what he did then. But I might be wrong. But Gandalf´s answer holds true in anywhere.

Has the movie turned Gollum into more of a funny sidekick BTW? Some of the dialogs he holds with himself (or Smeagol - Gollum) are definitely more humourously (gosh - does this word exist, or did I just invent it?) set in the film.

[Skyweir]

i believe you are correct .. i have just scanned over A Journey in the Dark .. and did not find it there .. i couldnt find it where Gandalf spoke to Frodo about the history of the ring either .. but i find that since the movie came out and has been done so well .. that i do confuse both the certain parts of the book with the movie versions.

i will search it out and see just where it actually is .. in the morning

as for Gollum/smeagol and the movie portrayal .. i dont feel that Gollum is greatly different from Gollum in the books. I found gollum/smeagols way of speech and manner more endearing and humorous in the books than i did in the movie
and it was one of my greatest concerns .. how PJ would depict smeagol .. cos in the books .. he was one of my fav characters.

and i really wanted PJ to do justice to him .. and especially his voice! .. which to me is the core of his humourous appeal

[Seafoam Understone]

Skyweir wrote:

Assuming we are talking of the same correction here, I think that Gandalf acctually told Frodo this in his own house in the Shire (even though the movie put this dialog in the mines of Moria), long before Frodo had known any horrors or death. I do not think he might have spoken in the same way in Moria, knowing what he did then. But I might be wrong. But Gandalf´s answer holds true in anywhere.

Has the movie turned Gollum into more of a funny sidekick BTW? Some of the dialogs he holds with himself (or Smeagol - Gollum) are definitely more humourously (gosh - does this word exist, or did I just invent it?) set in the film.

No you didn't invent it... Gosh is a word... probably not in the dictionary...at least not what people use it for anyway. I live in Utah so I hear GOSH all the time.

Gollum is the character Tolkien written him out to be. Pitiful but treacherous, never to be trusted. The acting is done very well especially showing the two sides of Smegol and Gollum totally schiztophrenic <sic> and if you see the trailer for Return Of The King there's a great scene where that is evident. Folks are calling it Gollum's smile.

[Skyweir]

i cant help but feel many do Smeagol a real injustice .. I do not believe Smeagol would have betreyed Frodo and SAm to Shelob (sp?) had he understood that Frodo did not betray him to Farimir.

Smeagol was like a child .. and Gollum took advantage of Frodo's seemingly betrayal and suckered him in to delivering Frodo to his death and reclaim his desire for the ring.

Smeagol felt genuine concern for Frodo .. admittedly he didnt think much of Sam but lol .. the feeling was mutual .. Sam never trusted Smeagol not even when he was genuinely trying to aid Frodo.

Gollum/Smeagol was indeed treacherous .. but i grieved for him because there seemed a glimmer of hope for him .. that was lost through misunderstanding and a failure to communicate to Smeagol why Frodo helped Farimir ensnare him by the pool ..



i loves smeagols

[Seafoam Understone]

Well yes I could go along with that.. however... Smeagol once found the ring killed his fishing buddy over it. Slowly the persona of Gollum emerged (probably from his guilt and remorse over the killing) changing his psychological make up and splitting him into two halves (he WAS a halfling...right?? hee hee).

Now-a-days when a murderer tries to use multiple personalities as an insanity plea, they'll investigate to see if he had any prior multiples BEFORE the murder. They've found that it crops up after the fact.

With Smeagol the desire to have the ring was strong as it was with Boromir. Frodo was lucky to have put it on and escape Boromir's grasp allowing time for him to realize his mistake. Smeagol never had that opportunity, and thus committed the murder and took possession of the ring and running away with it where it would work it's evil on him.

[Skyweir]

thats true .. and even Frodo couldnt escape the effect the ring had upon him .. in his comparatively short time of possessing it

that ring has a lot to answer for as does its maker

[Warmark]

Best line in the in the whole trilogy
" Is it crunchable? "