Reply #32: I can think of a lot that were equal, but only a couple that were better

[jobycom]

I'm sure there are lesser-known books that were made into great films, but I can't think of any. Maybe Forrest Gump--the movie wasn't as good as it was cracked up to be, but it wasn't a washout, either, and the book was pretty average.

The Godfather series was better than the books, but that's been said.

A list of some films that were equal, though not always equivalent, to the books, IMHO:
Lonesome Dove
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Name of the Rose (different than the book, but good)
Jaws
The Shining
Fight Club
The Unbearable Lightness of Being