I tend to remember my time in the theater as the equivalent of being punched in the stomach while being whacked in the head by a ball-peen hammer. He decides to better himself through learning. Which is only the first of two stomach-turning scenes in the piece. Abandoned by his wife, Jude sets himself back on course towards a life of learning. We're not even close to the halfway point.
Love wins out and everything gets worse when the kids come.
And the first wife returns. And . . . no, I'll leave that for those of you out there who wish to suffer through other people's misery. Let me be very plain and honest about this. The production values are terrific. 19th century England is clearly manifested on the screen.