# Ep. 94: 2 Novels About Perfectionists Sure to Entertain and Inspire You

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-healthy-compulsive-project-6461244/ep-94-2-novels-about-perfectionists-sure-to-entertain-and-inspire-you.md
Podcast: [The Healthy Compulsive Project](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-healthy-compulsive-project-6461244)
Published: 2025-07-08T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9ed5aad8
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/9ed5aad8/8f461a0d.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1089

## Resource

What happens when a rigid devotion to rules, order, and perfection replaces our ability to feel, connect, and live? In this episode, we explore two moving character studies from Fredrik Backman’s novels A Man Called Ove and Britt-Marie Was Here . Through Ove and Britt-Marie—both fictional but deeply familiar—we see the beauty, heartbreak, and potential of the obsessive-compulsive personality. These stories show what can go wrong when emotional life is outsourced or buried—and what can go right when we begin to reclaim it. From tragic emotional isolation to unexpected transformation, this conversation offers insight, humor, and hope for anyone trying to loosen the grip of perfectionism.

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## Transcript

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