Did you trust Gollum/Smeagol?

Well, I always pictured Gollum as a baddie from the first time I read tLotR, although I recall that I felt bad for him when he fell into Mt. Doom (how odd). No other character, who had possession of the ring, murdered to obtain it, that I know of, and Gollum murdered Deagol before he even owned the ring. I'm sure it was the ring's influence that pushed him over the edge, (he probably wouldn't have killed Deagol over a plan old gold ring... maybe) but it was a very bad start to it's owner/slave-ship, none the less. I certainly never pictured Gollum the way he was portrayed in the movie version; sad and squeeky and almost huggable. In print, I always thought he was too far gone from years of owning the ring, and from just being a bad egg from the get go. I'd be cranky too if I were over 500 years old.

I also agree with all of you who said Gollum is the bad guy you love to hate. The thing I like the most about tLotR is the fantastic dialogue, and Gollum has some fantastic lines. From his amusing ambition when he contemplates gaining the ring back:

"Perhaps we grows very strong, stronger than Wraiths. Lord Smeagol? Gollum the Great? The Gollum! Eat fish every day, three times a day, fresh from the Sea."

to moment when he being questioned by Faramir and is asked who he is and where he's going:

"We are lost, lost," said Gollum. "No name, no business, no Precious, nothing. Only empty. Only hungry; yes we are hungry. A few little fishes, nasty bony little fishes, for a poor creature, and they say death. So wise they are; so just, so very just."

I smile every time I read those lines, and many others. And, of course, Frodo could not have destroyed the ring with himself, for whatever that's worth in redeeming Gollum. I don't think it does. All in all, Gollum makes a great story and has a character background as interesting as any of the main characters.