Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has sparked renewed interest in Homer's epics, particularly in Fu Donghua's pioneering Chinese translation.

Fu (1893-1971), from Dahuang village in Jindong district, Jinhua, Zhejiang province, was a celebrated translator, linguist, and educator. He is best known for introducing Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind to Chinese readers, with his translations spanning epics, novels, and literary theory.

Fu's translation of Gone with the Wind left a lasting impact on early Chinese readers, noted for its flexible and clear language. However, his omission of detailed natural descriptions from the original text has drawn some criticism, though his work remains valuable for research.

Fu translated The Odyssey from an English version, not directly from Greek, using classical Chinese prose with a style typical of the Republic of China period (1912-49), giving each volume a title, similar to traditional Chinese chapter novels.

In October 1929, Fu's translated version was published by the Commercial Press in six volumes and was republished in 1934 as a three-volume set. New hardcover versions have now been released this year by People's Literature Publishing House and Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House.