FAIRHOPE, Ala. — No one could ever call Marcel Proust a man of few words. The late Frenchman (1871-1922) who is perhaps best known for “A la recherché du temps perdu” (formerly published in English as “Remembrance of Things Past,” and now more accurately titled “In Search of Lost Time”) was a prolific writer. His masterpiece work was originally printed in seven volumes, and contained more than 3,000 pages and 1.5 million words.

Dr. William C. Carter, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will give a general introduction to the life and works of Proust as part of the University of South Alabama Baldwin County’s spring Distinguished Lecture Series. Carter is a renowned expert on the man considered by many to be one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.

Carter said he will draw upon his own experience teaching and writing about Proust during his presentation. The scholar was the project director and co-producer of the award-winning documentary “Marcel Proust: Writer’s Life,” and has written extensively about his subject.

The lecture should appeal to fans or students of literature, book club members and others with literary or cultural interest in Western literature, especially French literature, he said. It will be held Sunday, Jan. 31, at 3 p.m., in the USABC Performance Center, 111 St. James Avenue in Fairhope.

“I’ll answer the question, ‘Why should anyone read Proust, and how should I approach it?” Carter said. “I’ll explain how this novel is popular and still in print.”

Proust lived during World War I, Carter noted, and saw its impact on French society. Proust often thought about how art impacts life, and Carter said he hopes to inspire the goal in others to read Proust for the first time.

“In the very beginning of the novel (“In Search of Lost Time”), the section titled ‘Overture,’ he examines the effort to understand what it is like to be alive and survive the pitfalls. It becomes very introspective. It goes back to the ancient Greeks. If you understand yourself, you’ll understand those around you,” Carter said. “The revelation of who we are and how we function shows through in the characters’ lives.”

Carter pointed out that Charles Kenneth Scott Moncrieff performed the best translation of Proust’s most noted work, adding, “He loved it so much, he started translating it even before he had the permission of Proust and his publisher.”

How did Proust find ample time to write? Carter said, “He was fortunate. He inherited a lot of money, so he never had to work for a living. He was very curious. He talked to a lot of people from all classes and walks of life.”

Carter plans to tap the intellectual curiousity of the lecture audience.

“I hope they’ll have a good idea of who Proust was and the scope of his achievement,” he said. “It reflects a great degree of truth and reflects us if we were to realize our own potential. It’s rich and complex in a very delightful way.”

Proust’s works do not make as much of a demand on the reader as do those penned by James Joyce and William Faulkner, according to the professor.

The author’s most cherished work has resulted in more than 40 translations. Carter said, “If they were not selling, they would not be produced.”

Carter, who grew up in southeast Georgia, first read Proust while attending the University of Georgia. He was working on his master’s degree in French, and while perusing the reading list of works not taught in his courses he happened upon “In Search of Lost Time.”

He spent a year in France and first read volumes 1 and 7. Carter said, “Proust wrote it that way and filled in the middle.”

Both Truman Capote and John Updike were among the authors reportedly influenced by Proust.

“There’s no one exactly like him,” Carter said. “Great writing rises to the level of poetry. You can learn from other writers and be influenced by them, but it’s never quite the same.”

The French government honored Carter for his contributions to French culture in 1989 by awarding him the Palmes Académiques. He won the Prix Servir du Rotary International in 1992, an award given annually to Americans who have made outstanding contributions to Franco-American cultural exchanges.

In 2000, Carter’s book, “Marcel Proust: A Life,” a comprehensive English language biography on Proust, was published. The book was listed as a Notable Book of 2000 by the New York Times, was named one of the Best Biographies of 2000 by the London Sunday Times and listed among the Best Books of 2000 by the Los Angeles Times.

In 2006, Carter published “Proust in Love.”

The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are encouraged. Carter will speak for 30-40 minutes and then take questions.

For more information or to make a reservation, call (251) 928-8133, or e-mail usabc@usouthal.edu.

To read more about Proust, or see clips from the documentary, visit Carter’s Web site devoted to the writer, www.proust-ink.com.