Participate in a little bit of literary history by completing the so-called Proust Questionnaire.

The Proust Questionnaire is a series of short questions in search of short answers. Despite their brevity, the responses can be revealing. The format derives from English "confessional albums" in the 19th century, which were kind of like the autograph books or guest books of their day. The "Proust" name comes from one of its most famous respondents, the great French writer Marcel Proust, who revealed at age 13 that his greatest misery would be: "To be separated from Mama."

The Proust Questionnaire lives on, both as a kind of historical curiosity and as a source for time-tested interview questions. Vanity Fair used it regularly as a bit. The New Yorker called it, a "prestige personality quiz."

Part of the fun is seeing how your answers stack up to centuries of respondents, famous or otherwise. Here are David Bowie's responses. Have a look -- but first, please add your own responses.

Here's a preview of the questions. Don't overthink it!

What is your favorite virtue?

What is your chief characteristic?

What do you appreciate the most in your friends?

What is your main fault?

What is your favorite (pre)occupation?

What is your idea of happiness?

What is your idea of misery?

If not yourself, who would you be?

Where would you like to live?

What is your favorite color and flower?

Who are your favorite prose authors?