Not sure if it will help you, but LWP::Simple seems to work ok.

D:\Perl\test>perl58 -mLWP::Simple=getprint -e" getprint 'http://xml.am
+azon.com/onca/xml2?t=webservices-20&dev-t=D3N1ICFCFE4DHV&AsinSearch=1
+565924193&type=lite&f=xml'"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><ProductInfo xmlns:xsi="http://w
+ww.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="htt
+p://xml.amazon.com/schemas2/dev-lite.xsd">

   <Details url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=webser
+vices-20%26creative=D3N1ICFCFE4DHV%26camp=2025%26link_code=xm2%26path
+=ASIN/1565924193">
      <Asin>1565924193</Asin>
      <ProductName>CGI Programming with Perl</ProductName>
      <Catalog>Book</Catalog>
      <Authors>
         <Author>Gunther Birznieks</Author>
         <Author>Scott Guelich</Author>
         <Author>Shishir Gundavaram</Author>
      </Authors>
      <ReleaseDate>15 January, 2000</ReleaseDate>
      <Manufacturer>O'Reilly &amp; Associates</Manufacturer>
      <ImageUrlSmall>http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1565924193.01.T
+HUMBZZZ.jpg</ImageUrlSmall>
      <ImageUrlMedium>http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1565924193.01.
+MZZZZZZZ.jpg</ImageUrlMedium>
      <ImageUrlLarge>http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1565924193.01.L
+ZZZZZZZ.jpg</ImageUrlLarge>
      <ListPrice>$34.95</ListPrice>
      <OurPrice>$24.47</OurPrice>
      <UsedPrice>$13.99</UsedPrice>
   </Details>
</ProductInfo>
[download]

I tried the latest version of your script you posted, and it too hung on the read from the socket. I can't see why either.