This article explores Robert Musil's work on the basis of several philosophical issues formulated by Friedrich Nietzsche. Gambaro claims that a fundamental aspect is Musil’s interpretation of “décadence”. The concept of “décadence” – coined by Nietzsche – is, in fact, at the center of the whole literary production of Musil, where the author explores the link between language and reality. Thanks to an original definition of metaphor, Musil demonstrates an inherent property of literature: the ability to open possibilities and alternatives. All in all, Gambaro concludes that Musil puts in value some issues promoted by Nietzsche in order to transform literature into ethics.