There is zero doubt in my mind that CPAN is really “most, if not all,” of what the fuss is about, when it comes to Perl.   Every language has its contributed-library and its system for deploying it, but I believe that Perl’s CPAN is a best-of-breed resource.   It is comprehensive, extensive, and very thoroughly self-testing.   It is also “battle-proven.”

The language itself is also well-implemented and remarkably flexible.   Consider, for example, that Moose is written in Perl-5, thus is compatible with Perl-5 and in fact allows you to switch back-and-forth between the two idioms within the compass of a single source-file, if you choose.   (And, on top of all that, it’s efficient.)   Nor is it the only version of itself ... there’s also Moo and many, many others.   I’m not coming-up offhand with any other language that’s actually capable of that.   Let alone in a way that you can, and do, put into production deployments.   Perl is no one’s toy.   Wanna haul serious freight for money?   Hitch up the train and let’s go.

So, while I freely grant (from personal experience ...) that Perl will initially trigger a “WTF™ ...?!” reaction, perhaps especially among those with fewer notches yet carved into their pistol-grips, it is a language well worth getting to know, and getting to know well.   Whether or not you find it attractive.   (At first.   It grows on you.)   The saying that it is “The Swiss Army® Knife of pragmatic computer-programming” is not an idle quip.