What happens to the soul when it becomes a vessel for everyone’s sorrows but its own?

In The Agony Aunt (Dert Dinleme Uzmanı), the fourth and final volume of her magisterial "Tight Times" series, Adalet Ağaoğlu presents a haunting exploration of empathy, exhaustion, and alienation. The narrative follows a man whose life is defined by the relentless act of listening to the hidden wounds and suppressed grievances of others. As he navigates a sea of modern existential crises, the protagonist finds himself consumed by the very stories he is meant to hold. Through his eyes, Ağaoğlu masterfully dissects the fractures of contemporary Turkish society, revealing the deep-seated pains that lurk beneath the surface of everyday life. This profound novel transforms the act of listening into a poignant art form, questioning the heavy cost of bearing witness to a world in search of solace.