Abstract: The preface to Portrait de l’aventurier by Roger Stéphane helps us to understand Sartre’s relationship to Malraux, a complex one consisting of unexpected proximity and an undeclared rivalry. The “adventurer” anchors Malraux’s vision of the world, his existential model. This article shows how this figure, while also fascinating for Sartre, has a different meaning for him. The preface reveals an oblique affinity between the two writers, while also demonstrating their growing political differences.
