Maybe saying "massive improvement" is doing it a disservice. (I was spoiled for disembodied hand tropes long before I read it.) It's a lot more understated than the film - which I think I'd love for its overblownness - typical early English weird/ghost story: genteel bachelor, old uncle etc. There's a certain sly humour to it, as well. I went looking for notes on it (the Harvey collection is at my parents') and found the whole story here:

http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/beast.html

(Harvey left behind quite a few short stories, not so many of them fantastical. "August Heat" is another good tale.)