I can imagine a future in which real books will exist but in a more limited, particular way.

Orlean is imagining a publishing ecosystem in which printed, physical books persist but no longer function as the default container for reading. The line suggests a shift from mass, everyday print consumption toward print as a more selective medium—perhaps reserved for art objects, gift books, collectors’ editions, or works whose design and material presence are integral to the experience. Implicit is the idea that digital formats may dominate for convenience and distribution, while “real books” survive by emphasizing what screens cannot replicate: tactility, durability, visual design, and cultural symbolism. The quote captures both realism about technological change and a refusal to frame print’s future as simple extinction.