The Proust Questionnaire is a well-known set of inquiries, originally answered by the French writer Marcel Proust. Proust completed these questions in a confession album, a type of social game popular during the Victorian era. This particular album belonged to Antoinette Faure, whose father was Félix Faure, a future French President. The album was discovered in 1924 by Antoinette's son and subsequently published in a French literary journal. It later went to auction in 2003, fetching a significant sum.

Over time, the questionnaire has been adopted and adapted by various media and individuals. It gained further recognition through television programs like Bernard Pivot's "Apostrophes" and James Lipton's "Inside the Actors Studio." Modern publications, such as Vanity Fair magazine, regularly feature celebrity responses, and have even developed interactive online versions. Additionally, radio programs have utilized similar question formats for interviews with notable figures.

The Proust Questionnaire traces its roots to a Victorian parlor game involving confession albums. Marcel Proust himself responded to such a set of questions within an album owned by Antoinette Faure, daughter of Félix Faure, who would later become President of France. This specific album, titled "An Album to Record Thoughts, Feelings, etc.," was found in 1924 by Faure's son. It was later brought to public attention through its publication in the French literary magazine Les Cahiers du Mois. The historical significance of this artifact was further highlighted when the album was auctioned in 2003, achieving a price of €102,000.

The format of the Proust Questionnaire has transcended its original context, becoming a recurring feature in various media. French television host Bernard Pivot famously employed a similar questionnaire at the conclusion of each episode of his show "Apostrophes." This format inspired James Lipton, host of "Inside the Actors Studio," to adopt a comparable questionnaire for his program, though Lipton sometimes misattributed its origin. The questionnaire's enduring appeal is evident in its regular appearance in "Vanity Fair" magazine, where celebrities share their answers. The magazine has also embraced digital innovation, launching an interactive version that allows users to compare their responses with those of famous individuals.

There exist two known sets of Proust's answers to the confession album questions. The earlier set, dating from 1885 or 1886, consists of responses to an English confession album, though Proust wrote his answers in French. A subsequent set, from 1891 or 1892, originates from a French album titled "Les confidences de salon" (Drawing room confessions). This French version contains translations of the original questions, omitting some that were present in the English edition and introducing new ones. Beyond Proust, other historical figures like Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, and Arthur Conan Doyle have also answered similar confession albums, indicating the widespread popularity of this introspective pastime among notable personalities.